


Trouble (Keith x Reader)

by Goldenfire152



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Minor Character Death, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2020-09-24 22:21:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 45
Words: 109,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldenfire152/pseuds/Goldenfire152
Summary: Somewhere in the world is a small town called Altea. Although it may be small and it has trouble built into it, the town is well-known thrown throughout its state, and it's school and students are exceptional. (Y/n) lives in a small apartment in the downtown area. Her grade was great and she was one of the best people to come to when you had a problem. But there's more to her than meets the eye. She tackles three jobs almost every day, while still making time for her homework and dealing with her secrets. Keith is the school's rebel, criminal, bad boy, or whatever you want to call it. No one ever bothers him except for his family, but he doesn't mind one bit. He's a mechanic with a temperamental personality, but kinder than he appears. These two kids seem to like the most unlikely pair on earth. Both of them seem to repel each other. But when (y/n) and Keith start to grow closer, his family can't resist playing cupid. Especially when the prom comes around.I do not own Voltron legendary defender or the cover photo. I just own the plot of the story.





	1. Chapter 1

(Y/n) was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She was going to be  _ so _ late! And the first bell was going to ring any minute! The first day of the new school year as a junior, and she was going to be late. This was just great. Even if her apartment was right in the downtown area of small town Altea, it was morning rush hour. And that meant cars were going to and from the high school, making it harder to get there. That, and the fact that she didn't have a car or bike. So she was stuck running. (Y/n) took a sharp turn left, her shoes making a skidding sound against the sidewalk. Her lungs burned from the amount of running she was doing as she ran across the road while having at least a dozen cars honk their horns at her. She could have sworn she heard someone swearing in Spanish at her. Ignoring that, she sprinted ahead on the sidewalk, almost getting knocked out by an opening door of a coffee shop, causing her to fall right on her butt, her nose felt like it was hit by a baseball. “I am so sorry, I didn’t see you there!” a man said, helping (Y/n) up. “It's fine! Don't you worry about it! I’ve had worse! I gotta go!” (Y/n) told the man quickly as she ran ahead. And an extra five minutes was added, plus her shirt was covered in coffee. By the time she reached the school parking lot, she was about five or more minutes late for class. She was so close to the high school, she could just walk right up to the doors now... “Hey, give it back!” a voice exclaimed, reaching (Y/n)’s ears. The (h/c) girl stopped right in her steps and turned her head to see a small first-grade boy being picked on by a second-grade boy. And by the looks of it, she was hanging something over over his head while standing up on her tippy toes without effort. “Why should I? Maybe if I hold your backpack above your head long enough, you’ll grow taller” she said with a bitter voice, holding the boy's backpack higher. “But I’m in first grade. You're in second. Plus you’re one of the tallest kids in the school!” he told her, trying to convince the second-grader to give back whatever she took from him. “Well, that’s not my problem, is it?” the taller girl said. (Y/n) looked back and forth between the two children and the high school. She couldn't just leave the first grader to be picked on, but she also had to run to class. But she could kinda sympathize with the little boy and knew he needed help. But she was already late enough! After making a decision, (y/n) sighed as he walked over to the two kids. She couldn't just let him get bullied, he needed help and that was what she was going to do. Help. “Hey, what are you doing!” (Y/n) exclaimed, causing the second-grade girl to whip her head around. Fear was what (y/n) saw in her eyes. If the teenager knew anything about elementary bullies, it was that they were terrified about being caught. She knew this because she was teased relentlessly in her younger years. But where most kids were too scared to tell an adult, (Y/n) told a teacher. The bully ended up having to write a written apology while reading it to her in front of the class. She was never bullied again. “I-I, umm,” the little girl said stuttering, dropping the backpack she was holding. “If I see you bullying anyone one time, I will go to the office. Got it?” (Y/n) told the girl, who nodded her head and ran off to her school, silently vowing to never bully anyone again. The little boy stared up at the teenager in front of him. This older girl was his savior, she helped him. “Hey, you ok?” she asked, helping him put his backpack on. “Yeah. Thanks for what you did!” he said giving (Y/n) a bear hug around her torso, causing her to blush a little as she hugged him back.  _ God, this kid is so sweet! _ , she thought as she stood up. “No problem, just be sure to stand up for yourself. Ok?” the (h/c) girl said, walking towards the high school. “Don't worry, I will!” he shouted as he ran to his school, disappearing through the doors. (Y/n) smiled softly as she walked into her own school, finally opening the door and entering the office. She looked around the well-lit room taking it all in. It was quiet, which was nice, considering how her morning has gone so for. The room was divided into two sides by a long desk that went as far as almost the other side of the room. And behind the desk was the office lady herself, with a scary kind of glare. The said office lady appeared to be in her late fifties, with light gray hair that matched her tan skin and yellow orange eyes. “Finally showed up huh?” she said, a hateful look in her eye. “Well, I-” the (h/c) haired girl tried to say but shut herself up once she saw the glare the office lady was giving her. “I’m sorry” (Y/n) said, but that didn’t change her attitude one bit. “I don’t want excuses! Back in my day, you probably would have received a wallop. It’s the first day and you couldn’t get up early enough. Now, you're the only child who was late,” she scolded. As if fate was trying to prove the old women wrong, the door burst open, and four teenagers and a young man falling through with (y/n) being tackled in the process. Everyone groaned in pain as they stood up. They were certainly a colorful group. Each one had a distinct color that made them stand out. The shortest one had light skin and short curly light brown hair. Their hazel eyes were behind their large, round Harry Potter style glasses. She wore a pair of gray shorts and long sleeved green and white shirt. The one behind her was taller and bigger. He had hair black as sin, which was tied back by an orange bandana. Only his bangs escaped, framing his forehead. His yellow shirt was partly covered by a camo green sleeveless jacket, and he wore brown pants. (Y/n) could tell he was kind by the look in his brown eyes. The next boy was tall and skinny with long legs, tan skin, and brown hair. His ocean blue eyes showed annoyance, as he fixed his dark brown jacket, his light gray and dark blue shirt, and blue jeans. “Can’t you boy’s just stop fighting for one single day!” the young man said. His warm colored skin wasn’t as noticeable as the scar across the bridge, just under his stormy gray eyes. His hair was in a strange hairstyle. It consisted of black, with a small tuft of white in the front, landing just in the middle of his eyes. His whole outfit was dark gray and black, but he didn’t even look remotely goth, nor emo. If anything, it made him look mature and in control. “Well Lance started it! He always starts it!” an angry voice exclaimed. The voice belonged to a boy with pale skin, his hair black like coal. He wore a red jacket, his shirt was dark gray and his pants were black. To top it all off, he had the classic fingerless biker gloves. But what (y/n) noticed most, was his eyes. They weren’t a normal color. His eyes were a dark grayish purple, but more purple than gray. It was unheard of to her that eyes could be purple. Well, now she knew that purple eyes did exist. And not just in Sleeping Beauty either. Everything about him screamed “rebellious!” to her. The office lady looked like she was about to explode. “You're all late! I’m disappointed, especially in you Mr. Shirogane!” she yelled. “What is going on?!” a woman's voice said. “Principal Alura. All these people were late, even this pathetic excuse of a science teacher” the office lady said with her eyes directed at the man with the scar. A woman walked into the room, with tan skin and shining white hair, though she was well in her early adult years. Her bright blue eyes were shining. “Hagar, I know you don’t like Shiro, but he is a fellow teacher. He deserves respect as well as any other living thing” Alura told Hagar, then facing her direction to the group at the door. “I’m sorry about that. Hagar is just strict, but she means well. Since it is the first day of school, I’ll give you an official pardon. But only for today. Make sure to use your schedules to help you. Have a nice day” Alura said, allowing everyone to let out a breath they didn’t even know they were holding. “But Shiro, don’t be late again” Alura said as she walked back to her office, a deadly factor in her voice. “Yes ma’am” Shiro said nervously as he opened the door for the five students to walk through. Once they were all out in the hallway, the man in black closed the door. “Man, that was close” the one with the yellow shirt said. “I know how you guys feel” (Y/n) said, wiping the sweat off her forehead. The boy with blue eyes, having just know noticed the girl next to him, straightened up. “Why hello. The names, Lance” he said while taking (Y/n)’s hand and kissing it. She gave a nervous laugh and yanked her hand back, whipping it on her shirt. “Nice to meet you Lance” (Y/n) as she looked down the hallway, avoiding his blue eyes. The shortest one of the group elbowed their way between (Y/n) and Lance. “Back off Lance, you're failing attempts to charm her are freaking her out” the person said as they sent a glare at Lance. After the brown haired boy crossed his arms and looked away, the short person looked at (Y/n) with a kind smile. “Sorry about him, he does that to almost every girl. It’s his thing. Lance is actually a good person when you get to know him. Just like the rest of us. I’m Pidge” they explained. “I’m Hunk, nice to meet you!” the one with the yellow shirt said. “And you can call me Shiro. Despite being a teacher, “Mr. Shirogane” is too formal. And this one is Keith. He talks, he’s just mad at Lance… again” the young man in black said, slapping his hand on the shoulder of the boy with the red jacket. “Well, nice to meet you all” (Y/n) said to everyone. “Please, the pleasures all mine” Lance said smoothly. Keith rolled his eyes at Lance.  _ Idiot _ , he thought as he and the group continued to walk down the hallways, taking a turn. “If you don't mind me asking, why do you look like you ran a marathon and have a coffee stain on your shirt?” Pidge asked while observing (Y/n), and noticed the smell of coffee in the air. “It was a crazy morning while getting sworn at in Spanish” (Y/n) said as she received looks of confusion from the group before opening the door to the science room, their first class of the day. As they piled into the room, Shiro ran to his desk. Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge sat down at one table, while (Y/n) sat at an empty table by herself. Shiro took a silent deep breath and looked at his class. “Alright, sorry I’m late everyone. It was a rough morning, but it is the first day of school. I have a few things to get out of the way, then you can talk till class is done. Call me Mr. Shiro, or Shirogane. Seats. You will have assigned seats tomorrow, along with lab partners. Your partner will be with you all year, so no fighting please, and try to get along. I do not give out a lot of homework, only reading assignments though. Now, I understand that some people just don't get science. That's fine, but if your grades are at an E, I will give you a tutor. And finally, rules are there for a reason. One, follow all the safety rules. Two, no eating in the lab. Three, no gum. And four, no wrestling during lab experiments. Last time it happened, the school had to replace a ceiling fan. Any questions?” Shiro explained. Lance raised his hand, looking directly into his science teachers eyes. “Yes, Lance?” Shiro asked with a smile. “Yeah, what if you don't know all the safety rules?” the blue eyed boy asked with a smirk on his face. Shiro took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Why don't we go over the discipline for detention. If you all would kindly look under your table, and  _ take in how much gum there is _ ”


	2. Chapter 2

“See you all tomorrow” Shiro said as the bell rang, signaling the end of the first hour. Pidge waved goodbye to Keith, Lance, and Hunk as the walked away. The hazel eyed student smiled, looking over to (Y/n), who was walking towards the door. “Hey (Y/n)! Wait up!” Pidge said, stepping into the hallway and joining the (h/c) haired girl's side, surprising the said teen. Nobody noticed the small smile that appeared on the science teacher’s face. He was happy and relieved that the youngest member of his family made a friend so early in the year, she was two years younger than everybody in her grade after all. (Y/n) waited for Pidge to catch up. “What do you need?” she asked. “Can I see your schedule? I want to see if we have more classes together” Pidge said as they walked to their next class together. So far she had Pidge in her all her classes, or at least one of her new friends with her in every hour according to the hazel eyed teen. Like science, all five of them had lunch together. She found that out when Lance flirted with her in the lunch line, much to her dismay. “So, where are you sitting?” he asked as he picked up his tray and walked into the cafeteria. “Oh. Ummm…” the (h/c) haired girl said as she looked around for an empty seat, anywhere to give her an excuse. “Perfect! You can sit me and my family!” the blue eyed boy said while he grabbed the poor girl's wrist and lead her over to a table that was only occupied by Hunk, Pidge, and Keith. Pidge’s sharp eyes noticed right away that was being dragged over to their table. “Lance! Don’t drag her, she can sit somewhere else if she wants too” Pidge exclaimed. “Well, it’s not like she had anywhere sit” Lance said as he sat down, (Y/n) taking a seat next to Pidge. Keith narrowed his eyes at the blue eyed boy. One of the things he hated most about Lance was that he had a tendency to said things without thinking. In fact, that's why they got into fights often, because of Lance's comments. “Wow. Like being a jerk much?” the coal haired boy sarcastically asked, now glaring at Lance. “Shut it Mullet” Lance told Keith, glaring right back at him. (Y/n) smiled at the two. “You two seem to act like brothers” she said as she let out a small laugh. “Well, that because they are” Hunk said as he wolfed down his food. “Huh?” (Y/n) said with a confused look on her face. “We're all brothers and sister. Keith’s the oldest, while Hunk and Lance are the same, and I’m the youngest. And Shiro’s our dad” Pidge explained, fixing her glasses. “Got it. But what about your sister?” (Y/n) asked. Everybody laughed as if she just told the greatest joke of their lives. Well, everybody except Keith. “What? What did I say” she said confused, causing them to laugh more. Keith rolled his eyes, while the rest of them wiped theirs. “I’m the sister (Y/n), I’m a girl. And don’t worry, everybody thinks I’m a boy at first” Pidge said with an understanding smile once she had calmed down enough. “I’m so sorry” (Y/n) said. “Don’t be. Like I said before, everybody thinks I’m a boy” Pidge said as she took a big bite out of her sandwich. “Yeah, she even acts like a boy. She even eats like one. Well, she did when she tasted my cooking for the first time” Hunk said with a proud smile on his face. The (h/c) haired girl nodded her head, taking a bite of her food. Keith sighed before getting up. He didn’t eat much so he was already finished. He wanted to be by himself, and meeting new people wasn’t his thing. The people he knew already were enough to handle. “I’ll see you guys later” he said as he walked away, arms crossed. As he walked away, any students that would be in his way scrambled to get away from him. It didn’t bother him anymore, he was used to it now. As Keith left the building, he made sure no one saw him leave. Students weren’t allowed to leave the building and he already promised Shiro he wouldn’t get in trouble. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t break a small rule. Did it? Well, too late now. I’m already outside.  _ As long as I get back inside before my next class starts _ , he thought as he laid down in the grass in the sun. Everything about the next ten minutes was quiet and relaxing. Absolutely nothing like his house. Living with a family as big as his meant everything was normally loud, and everyone had different hobbies. Lance loved football, Hunk was in the school band and Pudge's science experiments. Even Shiro could be loud at times, though it was rare. So the peaceful silence was a nice thing to have every once in a while. “I knew you’d be here” a voice said, Keith instantly recognizing who it was. “Go away Lance” he said to his younger brother. Lance ignored Keith and sat down next to him. “No way Mullet. One, it’s almost time for classes again. Two, you can’t have a quiet place all to yourself when nobody else has one damn it!” Lance said, pointing his finger at Keith. “Yeah, because I need one. You create pointless sound. Besides, I found this spot last year. Therefore, it’s mine” Keith explained. “Well you should share then” Lance said pouting. A moment of silence hung in the air. Keith took a deep breath while sitting up. “Come on, lunch will be over soon idiot” Keith said as he walked through the doors leading back to the school. Lance pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “Yeah, I guess you actually ha- Wait a minute! What do you mean idiot! Keith! Gah! THIS ISN’T OVER!” Lance shouted. Keith smirked as he ran down the hall, not wanting to fight his childish brother right now. He looked at a clock on the wall. He had three minutes, and he knew he wouldn’t make it. He’d have to take the quicker route there. Or the fun way, as he called it. Noticing the boy's bathroom, Keith dashed into the empty room and headed over to the last stall. It didn’t work so nobody even went in there, which was perfect for Keith. He stepped up on the toilet and placed his hands on the ceiling tile and pushed it up, allowing him to crawl into the ceiling. Crawling in and putting the tile back, Keith quickly made his way to the hallway in front of his next class… English. As he made his way above the door, Keith tripped the security camera wire which would give him sixty seconds to carefully climb down, run to the door and get into the classroom before the camera turned on again. He felt relief as he closed the door just as the bell rang. “You got lucky Mr. Kogane. Sit down” the teacher said. Keith nodded his head and turned his head to see the tables that were filled with students. They all gave him that judgy or scared look. The only table left was the one in the far back. It was pretty empty, save for someone was already sitting alone. Their face was covered completely by a book, seeming to be absorbed in the other world in their hands. Sighing, Keith walked over to the table and sat down at the opposite end of the table. “Anywho, as I was saying… You will be filling out a sheet that has questions you are to ask your partner in order to fill out. I know this may seem like something that you’d do in elementary school, but I figured it’d be better than hearing me talk for the whole hour. So get to it!” the teacher said as she finished handing out papers to everyone in the classroom. Keith looked at his paper and looked at the person at the other end of the table. “Hey, we got a paper to do” he said as to the person. Whoever it was didn’t even seem to acknowledge Keith. Rolling his eyes, he walked over to the seat next to them and tapped his shoulders. The person jumped as they were brought back into the real world. Keith’s eyes widened a tiny bit as he saw who it was. “Oh, it’s you” he said as he looked at (Y/n). “Alright” she said, catching some whispered comments.

“I can’t believe she got Keith for a partner”

“I feel kind of bad for her. I think he was arrested for shoplifting”

“Dude, that chicks not going to last long”

“Kinda want to switch places. But after what he did to some galra student…”

“Are you kidding me? He tore them apart. One of the guys had to get plastic surgery!”

“He’s one kid no one should even be talked to. I’m telling you!”

(Y/n) swallowed what spit was in her mouth and faced Keith. Keith didn’t seem like a bad person. Maybe a bit rebellious, but that’s all. She looked at a few questions and already hated them. “Alright, I'll ask questions first. How old are you?” Keith asked. “Sixteen” (Y/n) answered. “What hobbies do you have?” Keith asked, wanting this to be over already. He would rather listen to the teacher drone on about her class than do this. “I like to work, organize, and read” she said simply. “Nothing else like paint nails, or do hair and makeup?” Keith asked surprised. “What's that supposed to mean!” (Y/n) retorted, sounding offended. “Nothing! Nothing at all, I just don't know how girl's minds work… so, you like to work?” he asked. “Yeah, don't really have time for anything else. After school, it’s straight to work, then come home late and do homework” (Y/n) told him. Keith glared at her. I don’t believe that.  _ Work can’t be all she does, she’s hiding something _ , he thought. “What was that for?” (Y/n) asked. “You make it sound like all you do is work. Personally, I think you're exaggerating things. And my instincts tell me that you're not being completely honest” Keith said with a matter-of-factly tone in his voice.

“I’ll have you know I’m not a liar, and I work hard every day. Possibly harder than you”

“And I’ll have you know that my instincts are always right! So what are you hiding!”

“This shouldn’t even be an argument. Why are you turning this into an argument?!”

“Because you're hiding something, how many jobs do you have?”

“Can’t we just move on to the next question?”

“Not anymore”

“Three. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Why do you need that many jobs anyway?”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you!”

“Because you know I’m right!”

“No, because it’s not your business to know!”

_ Rrrrriiiiinnnnnggggg! _

The second that bell rang, (Y/n) was out of that class faster than light. Keith was now visibly furious. This was pretty much the reason he avoided anybody else but his family. They just ticked him off so much, but mostly vice versa.  _ This is going to be a long year _ , he thought as he dreaded his English class for the rest of the year.


	3. Chapter 3

(Y/n) walked quickly to her locker, completely pissed at Keith.  _ Why didn’t he just agree, or leave it alone! Or better yet, just say “ok” and move on! I swear Pidge, your brother… _ , the (h/c) haired girl thought as she walked to her next class, gym. As she walked into the girl's locker, she looked around the room. The other girls were sitting on the benches, talking to their friends in groups. (Y/n) sighed as she walked over to an empty area, sitting on the ground with her back against the lockers. She couldn’t stop thinking about her fight with Keith. It wasn’t his attitude that made her mad. Though he did seem to be a bit temperamental based on the way he acted with Lance, and the argument they had in English. It didn’t bother her one bite, she’d known someone who had a worse temper than Keith. It was the fact that he doubted her working skills, which was something she took pride in. Plus, it was normal for someone her age to have three jobs. Right? It’s not like there was anything bad about it, she just needed more jobs to help around her apartment. Plus, she like her jobs. The bosses and coworkers were nice, the pay was good, and she didn’t have to wear an embarrassing uniform! “Hey (Y/n)!” Pidge suddenly exclaimed, making her jump a bit. The hazel eyed girl gave a small smile. She had learned that it was kind of fun to scare her (h/c) haired friend since she had a tendency to be either lost in thought or reading that book she always seemed to have. “Jesus Pidge! Stop scaring me like that!” (Y/n) snapped, giving her a pleading look. “I can’t help it if you're easy to scare! Man, I am going to love Halloween! Oh, who am I kidding? I’m going to love October” Pidge said, a unique sparkle in her eyes. The other girls looked at (Y/n) and Pidge, but mostly Pidge. The hazel eyed girl knew this well and was used to it. She got the same looks every time she went into a girls bathroom at a public place. Paige would never forget that time she had to correct that old lady.  _ Man, she needed hearing aids _ , Pidge thought. “Hey not to be mean, but aren’t you supposed to be in the boy's locker room?” a girl said in a snotty tone of voice. She had blonde hair that curled in a perfect way, smooth light skin and the pinkest lips (Y/n) or Pidge has ever seen in their lives. To put it in a simple way, she could be a model. Pidge put on a small frown and looked at her (h/c) haired friend. “Excuse me for a few seconds” Pidge told (Y/n) quietly. Her voice was in a harsh tone. (Y/n) didn’t like where this was going. Pidge stood up and looked at the teenage girl who asked her the question. “Are you calling me a boy? You called me a boy. Listen, I got news for you. If I was meant to be in the boy's locker room, that’s where I’d be. So mind your own business and leave us alone, unless I end up tutoring you” Pidge said with a stern face and voice. “Wha- no! I-I-I…” the girl stuttered. Pidge sighed and adjusted her glasses. “Listen, let’s just drop this and pretend it never happened,” Pidge said. “Fine brat!” the girl said as she blushed a bright angry red and turned away. Pidge sat down next to her friend, who had a dumbfounded look on her face from the shock. “I took care of that nicely, huh” Pidge said as she gave a small smile. (Y/n) snapped out of her shock and shook her head. “Pidge, why did you do that?” she asked. “Because she knew I was a girl already and was being a bully about it” Pidge said as she thought about the hours without (Y/n), the hours she had with that girl. “Her name’s Nyma. And for some reason, she loves two things. Bullying me, and bragging about her “most beautiful eyes in the whole world”. Look at her eyes. See how they're pink, they're actually gray. But she wears contacts and pretends that she doesn't need “nerd” glasses like me” Pidge explained. (Y/n) nodded her head in understanding. “Kay, gotcha. But what did you do to make her mad? Be honest” (Y/n) said. “If I knew, I’d either apologize or stop. But I have no idea” the hazel eyed girl said. “All right ladies! We only have one hour to get through everything you need to know for the next two and a half months of gym class. Stop talking and start listening” a voice said at the door. Everybody’s eyes turned to look at the gym teacher who held a little stack of paper in her arms. “Now, to start off I’m going to thoroughly explain the dress code. No booty shorts, spaghetti strap tank tops, and you have to have sneakers and your hair up and out of your face. Wearing any booty shorts or tank tops will result in one-hour detention. No excuses, but if you do need to borrow some clothes…” the gym teacher explained. Pidge turned to face (Y/n). “We’ll talk in our next class” she told (Y/n), who nodded her head and turned her attention to the gym teacher.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Finally! We're done! I thought that class would never end!” Pidge said as she practically shot out from the girl's locker room, followed by (Y/n). “It looks like our last class is art. That’s kinda like our fun hour, right?” the (h/c) haired girl asked, walking next to Pidge. “Yeah, it’s our elective. I’m actually excited about it. I’m not that into drawing, but I thought it would be fun” Pidge told (Y/n) as they both walked towards the art room. “That sounds good. I picked art because it’s my favorite. Next term I’ll try and get robotics” (Y/n) told Pidge before running ahead to open the door for her friend. “Sounds great. Shiro teaches that too so I’ll have to join you on that plan!” Pidge told (Y/n) while walking into the art room. (Y/n) smiled and closed the door, she and Pidge sitting down at an empty table. The art teacher looked around the classroom. The bell wouldn’t go off for a few minutes, she could give them directions now. “Alright, listen up” she said loudly, gaining the student's attention. “I do have projects lined up, but I don’t have the supplies for them yet. So I want you to free draw the whole hour. Make it as detailed as possible, to the best of your abilities” she said as she sat down at her computer. “Well looks like you and I have the whole hour to ourselves” Pidge said. “If you looked behind you, you’d notice your older brother is here too” a certain irritated voice said from behind them, sounding annoyed.  _ Oh god, not him. I just got away from this guy! _ , (Y/n) thought as she saw Keith sat down in a chair across from Pidge. “Holy cow Keith! I didn’t know you liked art!” Pidge exclaimed. “I didn’t get a choice. Shiro made me do it... So, what are we doing?” Keith asked as he pulled out a paper and pencil from his jacket. Pidge opened her mouth, about to asked how that was possible since the jacket had no pockets, but just decided against it. “Draw a detailed picture of anything” Pidge told Keith. Pidge looked at (Y/n). She was already drawing something, and Keith seemed to be thinking. Now that she thought about it, the hazel eyed girl didn’t know what to draw either. “Soooo, (Y/n). What are you drawing?” Pidge asked, hoping to get some ideas from the (e/c) eyed girl next to her. “I’m drawing a rose” she muttered, most of her focus on her drawing. Pidge nodded her head and looked at her coal haired brother. He seemed to have just started drawing. “Hey Keith, what are you doing?” she asked. “Drawing” Keith replied with a bored expression, not bothering to look up. Pidge mentally face palmed herself.  _ Gee, really? _ , she thought sarcastically. “I know that, but what are you drawing?” Pidge asked more specifically. “Fire” Keith told her. “I know what to do now!” Pidge exclaimed as she instantly started to draw on her paper. (Y/n) looked over at Keith's drawing. He wasn’t doing half bad. “I like your fire” She said plainly, still mad at him from their English class. “Thanks. Your flowers nice” he replied, sounding just a little annoyed. “I learned how to draw them from one of the waitresses at the fifties dinner” (Y/n) explained. Keith had to stop himself from growling as the pencil's tip broke from the pressure of his anger. Calm down. Just calm down Keith. I could be worse. She could be Lance, the coal haired boy thought as he remembered English class.  _ Why does she even need three jobs? And if it’s not a big deal why can’t she just say why she needs them?! _ , Keith thought to himself, making himself madder. It was a skill only he seemed to possess, and it got him into more trouble than it should. “Which job is it? The first, second, or third one?” he asked in a semi-harsh tone. (Y/n)’s pencil broke as she looked up and glared right into his strange grey purple eyes, and he glared right back into her (e/c) ones. “G-guys?” Pidge stuttered, a nervous look on her face as she looked between the two people. “I’m trying to forget it. But for some reason, you can’t. If we have to fight, let's fight about something that actually matters!” (Y/n) told Keith as she got up and walked away, going to find a new seat. “Umm, did I miss something?” Pidge asked, scared of what the answer might be. “We had English together and it didn’t go well” he said, snapping his pencil with no effort. “What did you say to her?” Pidge asked. Keith glared at her. “What makes you think it was me!” Keith exclaimed. “This is you we’re talking about. You're temperamental, it’s part of your lone wolf personality. Of course it was you who ticked (Y/n) off” Pidge said nonchalantly. Keith sighed before telling Pidge what happened in English class. “What the quiznak Keith! That’s the most stupid thing to fight about! So she has three jobs and is really busy with them! I swear that you are the only person who can look to deeply into something as insignificant as that!” Pidge exclaimed, glaring at her older brother. “I’m telling you, there's more to it than just that! And when I asked her why she had three jobs she got all defensive. My gut felt it” Keith argued, looking away from his sister's eyes. “Well, your guts just as petty as your reasoning. You're a stranger she just met. I mean, you didn’t even tell me your favorite ice-cream flavor for three months when we first met. Your  _ Ice-cream flavor _ ” she told him slowly, letting it sink into his head. “That  _ and _ you ticked her off. It’s not like she’ll tell us her whole life story today. Just don’t bug her about it and it’ll all blow over eventually” Pidge said before the bell rang. “Come on Keith, we gotta go meet the others” Pidge said looking at the clock. “Fine” Keith grumbled as he got up, shoving his drawing into his pants pockets. He and Pidge walked out of the art room and out to the front parking lot. “Hey, Pidge! Mullet! Over here!” Lance shouted from across the parking lot while getting into a car. He and hunk were already inside in two of the three back seats, leaving the two middle ones open. “Come on guys, we gotta go” Shiro said from behind the wheel, starting up the car. Pidge closed the door after sitting down in the seat next to Keith. Shiro pulled out of the parking lot and headed out to their house.


	4. Chapter 4

“Shiro, tell Keith to shut his quiznak!”

“I don’t think that's how you use that word”

“Shut up mullet!”

“Stop making fun of my hair!”

“Mullet! Mullet! Mullet! Mullet! Mull- ow!  _ You slapped me _ !”

“Shiro!”

“ ** _STOP FIGHTING RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND AND PUT YOU TWO IN A FOUR HOUR DETENTION!_ ** ”

Everybody in the car stared at Shiro with wide eyes, not daring to say anything. It wasn’t often he yelled, it actually took a lot to get him to reach his limit. But when he did it was scary, as if you saw your worse fear just then. It was that terrifying. Nothing else was spoken throughout the whole car ride. Hunk even used every ounce of willpower not to sneeze at one point. Although it was very funny to watch, it didn't lighten up the mood. After what felt like hours upon hours of driving, Shiro finally pulled into the driveway of their house. It was a nice two-story house. Not big, but not small either. It was perfectly in the middle. The garage was separate from the house and cleared out so it was nice and spacious. The neighborhood was right in front of a forest, so the trees were behind the house. “Lance, Keith. If you fight one more time this week so help me, I will make you scrape off every piece of gum in the science room. Now genuinely say sorry and get any homework you guys may have gotten done. Okay?” Shiro told the two teenagers sternly. The group of teens either nodded or gave a mumbled “okay”. As Shiro got out of the car walked up to the front door. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the house. The inside was nice and clean and opened right up to the living room which lead to the kitchen and basement, and the stairs to the second floor. The second floor was where all the bedrooms were, along with the bathroom. Hunk walked into the house standing in between Keith and Lance. “You know, maybe you two should really think about finding a peaceful way to solve things. I know some great card games that would work. Like war or poker! I think you'd like poker Keith” Hunk said, trying to help his brothers out. “Thanks, but I'm fine with the way I solve things. Plus, as long as it doesn't bleed into my everyday life, it's fine. It's not like I'll be that way with a normal person. Just Lance” the coal haired boy said, going upstairs to do his homework. Lance glared at him as he walked up to the stairs. “Don't bother Hunk. He's in his angry emo teenager mood. He is the oldest” Lance said, heading towards the kitchen with Hunk. “I heard that!” Keith yelled from upstairs. “I swear, he has super alien ears” Hunk told Lance, who nodded his head. “So Lance, you got any homework?” Hunk asked. “No way man! First day! I'd be surprised if I did have homework!” the blue eyed boy exclaimed as he set his backpack on his chair at the table. The dining room and the kitchen were one room illuminated by a small window above the sink, and a door that lead to the back yard. “So now that we started school, when does your football practice start?” Hunk asked, sitting down in his own seat. “From five to seven. Why?” Lance replied, getting a glass of water. “No reason. I was just wondering if it was the same as summer practices. Turns out I was wrong” the black haired boy explained. “Yeah, how's band going so far? Any cute girls in there?” Lance asked his brother with a smirk on his face. The brown eyed teen facepalmed himself, groaning in annoyance. “What?! I was just curious because I thought band might be fun!” Lance said defending himself. Shiro walked into the kitchen smiling to himself. Lance was one of the biggest flirts in the world and embraced it to no limit. It was how he knew it was his Lance. “That's a good joke” Shiro said with a small laugh. “What?! I was! The girl at school told me so!” Lance exclaimed, making Shiro and Hunk laugh tremendously. “Alright Lance, what's the girl's name” Shiro said while almost doubling over. Lance’s face turned red from anger and embarrassment.  _ I didn’t help my case at all _ , he thought angrily. “You know what, I don’t need this! You're all just jealous of my good looks!” Lance shouted, jumping when he heard two more laughs from behind him. The blue eyed teen whipped his head around to see Keith and Pidge clutching the stomachs as they were both dying of laughter, just like Shiro and Hunk. They're here too?! Isn’t Keith supposed to be brooding in his room and Pidge doing something sciency?!, Lance shouted in his head. “I’m serious you guys!” Lance told them. “L-lance!,” Keith tried to say clearly. “In order f-for us to be j-j-jealous… haha! You have to have something we actually want!” Keith laughed out, a tear in his purple gray eye. Lance glared at his brother. “I don't have to take this mullet!” he said before stomping out of the kitchen and up to his room. It was a good full twenty minutes before Shiro, Keith, Hunk, and Pidge completely stopped laughing. And Lance glared at them for every single second of it. “That was a good laugh! I think we needed that” Hunk said as he took shallow breaths now. “Well said buddy” Shiro said while placing his hand on Hunk’s shoulder. Pidge straightened out her glasses, which almost fell off her head twice. “That was great! And who knew that Keith could still laugh!” she said, a big smile on her face. “Yeah. It feels good” Keith said. “Oh lord, I feel bad for the kid he has to tackle in football practice” Hunk said. At that moment the doorbell rang out, causing their heads to turn towards the front door. Hunk straightened up and smiled. “Don't worry, I got it” the raven haired boy said as he got up and walked to the door. He opened it up to see a middle aged man with graying brown hair and dark tanned skin. “Hello. Umm, I'm looking for the mechanic? My car really needs to be fixed” the man explained. “Sure thing, I'll go get him” Hunk said as he closed the door. He walked back to the kitchen and faced Keith. “Someone's here for you Keith. Good luck” the raven haired teen said. “Thanks, bud” the coal haired boy said as he ran to the door. “Hey Mr. Peters, I’m the mechanic. Pull your truck right in the garage” Keith told Mr. Peters before he walked into his garage. It was basically a second room for him, seeing as he spent so much time on him. It was his birthday present last year, the best one yet. He took off his jacket and gloves and set them down on his swivel chair. Keith watched as an old Chevy truck pulled in, blue and rusted at the edges. Mr. Peters got out and walked over to the coal haired boy “How old is she?” Keith asked. “Bought her in 1994. My wife and I made all five kids in it” Mr. Peters said, a proud smirk on his face. Keith’s eyes widened. “You do realize that you could have kept that to yourself… right?” Keith told his client. “Yes. But as a father, it makes this car all the more important. You’ll understand when you're older, but I really need this car fixed. My son has football practice in about an hour” he said, facing the boy next to him. “Alright, I understand. I'll get it fixed up in no time” Keith said as he walked over and popped the hood. He couldn't help but stare at the engine. “What. The. Quiznak. Happened?” he asked. “Everything changed when the raccoons attacked...”

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“Wow! You really fixed it! I must say, that's pretty impressive for someone your age” Mr. Peters told Keith as he placed the money he owed in the boy's hand. “And at a reasonable price too. If you ever need me to give someone an opinion, let me know. Thanks for the help” Mr. Peters said as he climbed into his truck. “No problem” Keith said as he waved the man goodbye. His client pulled out of the garage and out to the road and drove away. Keith sighed as he washed his grease covered hands in the sink. He looked at the old clock, which read four forty-five. Lance would be going to practice soon.  _ What do I do now? I still got a few hours to myself. Well, I could just finish that drawing _ , Keith thought. That seemed like a good idea. Keith reached into his pocket and pulled out his crumpled up drawing and sat down at the desk and started to draw it again. It had been twenty minutes when his younger brother came and yelled for him. “Keith, my man! Hunk made dinner, come on!” Lance's voice shouted from the door. Keith grabbed his red jacket and put it on as he closed the garage doors, and ran into the house, eager to eat. When he walked into the kitchen, he could already smell the delicious food from the kitchen. Keith sat in his spot in between to Lance and Shiro. “Finally came to join the family huh mullet?” Lance said with a teasing smirk on his face, knowing full well it would tick off his temperamental older brother. Hunk's face showed nothing but fear as he set down a plate in front of an angry looking Shiro.  _ God help us all. Please _ , he thought as he sat down and started to eat his food. “I was working, what were you doing” Keith asked, half yelling and half growling his answer. “Keith and Lance! For quiznaking sake of quiznaking god, you two have been fighting every minute of every day for the past two weeks and  _ I can’t take it anymore _ !” Shiro exclaimed with a red face. Pidges eyes turned empathetic. Shiro never got this made easily, and it bothered her. She knew very well that he was used to the two teens fighting, and it never ticked him off. “Hey, Shiro? Are you ok?” she asked. Shiro took a deep breath, calming himself down. He really hadn’t meant to yell at the two boys, but he couldn’t take it much more. They were adding more and more pressure to the exploding volcano. “I’m sorry guys, I’m just stressed out. With the new schedule, the house, my job, the new coworker. But I’ll get the hang of it” Shiro told them, eating the food that Hunk made. The rest of dinner was filled with small talk about how their day was with Lance and Keith glaring at each other while racing to see who could eat faster. Shiro had just finished his plate when he caught the time on the clock. Four fifty-seven. His eyes widened and he set his plate in the sink. “Shit Lance! We’re late for football!” Shiro exclaimed as he dragged Lance by his shirt from his seat all the way to the car. The table was silent for a few seconds before Hunk spoke up.

“Sooooo… How far do you think they’ll get before Shiro realizes he forgot Lance’s football equipment?”

“The parking lot”

“God, I wish I could see that”


	5. Chapter 5

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Be- _ a hand shot straight to the annoying alarm clock on the nightstand. “ _ Infernal creation of hell _ ” a tired and grouchy voice grumbled as they sat up in their bed, rubbing their eyes.  _ Whoever thought it was a good idea to start high school at seven-fifteen is going to die _ , (Y/n) thought as she rubbed her eyes some more as she got up from her bed and walked over to her dresser while turning on her bedroom light. After stretching out her arms and letting out a yawn, she looked in the mirror. Her messy (h/c) hair was everywhere. It sticking up, down, left, right, every direction possible. And she could see a rats nest somewhere in it. “Well, I got work to do… extra conditioner it is then” (y/n) said to herself tiredly before she walked out of her room, into the hallway, and over to the bathroom. It was fairly small with minimal paint chipping off in some places. But the sink, toilet, and step-in shower were in good condition. After undressing she turned on the water and stepped inside, closing the shower door behind her. (Y/n) sighed in content as she felt the warm water hit her back. She took showers in the morning to wake herself up, but it seemed to try to send her back to sleep rather than wake her up. (Y/n) stood in the shower, her eyes slowly closing. “No! Come on (y/n) wake up!” she told herself as he slashed water in her face, rubbing it into her eyes. I can’t go back to sleep.  _ Now, where’s the shampoo? _ , the (h/c) haired girl thought as she looked on the shelves for the shampoo. When she did find it, she squeezed some on her hand and put it in her tangled hair, making it all soapy and bubbly. It was one of her favorite qualities of the hair product. Once she was done, the teen rinsed it out of her hair. (Y/n) reached for the conditioner, squeezing out a lot more than usual. Where some people worried about their shampoo, (y/n) worried about her conditioner. Mostly because if she ever ran out of shampoo, she could always use dawn dish soap if she got desperate. If it was good enough for the oil covered ducklings in the advertisement, it was good enough for her hair. After she thoroughly put it in her hair, she grabbed a brush and started to tame her crazy bed head hair. After she brushed it out and rinsed the conditioner away, (y/n) stepped out of the shower and dried herself off with a brown towel. It had a single stitch in it, but other than that it was in great condition. After drying off completely, the girl ran to her room and got dressed quickly and loaded all her school stuff into her backpack, then ran to the kitchen. Everything was in good condition, from the cupboards to the counter. Maybe a little old fashioned, but at least it wasn’t broken. And past the counters was the living room. It had a small TV stand which of course held the TV, with a coffee table in front of it. The light teal couch had a pillow and blanket on it. The brick wall on the other side of the TV was empty. No pictures, no artworks, nothing. “Alright, I got to make breakfast, lunch, brush my teeth,” (y/n) mumbled to herself as she hurried around her kitchen and started to make toast. “... And check on Mrs. Bailarín. The crazy lady. I’m not forgetting anything am I?” she said to herself, continuing to talk to herself as she completed each task she set for herself. “Mmmmmm, no. I’m good” she concluded, putting on her backpack, stuffing her lunch in a bag and grabbing the toast that popped up. “And off I go” the (e/c) eyed girl said as she walked through the living room and to the door. Grabbing the keys from a bowl on a tiny but tall table beside the door, (y/n) headed out in the hallway outside her apartment. “Oh! Almost forgot” (y/n) told herself as she ran down the hallway to the door across from her own. She knocked on the door, immediately hearing a crash from the other side. The door flew open to reveal a old women in her late fifties. She was a tall and lean woman, with light skin and brown hair so dark, it might as well be black. Her gray eyes looked at (y/n) through black glasses. Once she saw her teenage neighbor, her ruby red lips curled into a smile. “(Y/n/n)! Hola! I love that fact that you care, but please stop checking on me in the mornings! That’s when I do my loco stretches!” Mrs. Bailarín told the teen in a dramatic voice, completed with hand gestures towards her apartment. “But I can’t do that. What if you hurt yourself” (y/n) said with a worried look on her face. “Then I will die happy, being known as the greatest dancer in the broadway world along with having great beauty. Go, get to school! You’ll be late!” Mrs. Bailarín said, shooing the teenage girl away. “Bye!” (y/n) exclaimed as she ran down the hall. “Such a sweet girl… she won't last long when she has to leave me for college” Mrs. Bailarín said to herself as she closed the door. (Y/n) ran outside the building, immediately shivering thanks to the freezing autumn air.  _ Why does it have to be so dang cold! _ , she thought as she ran on the sidewalk. She forgot that the earlier you get up, the colder it is. Bt that was why she was running. And no one was out this early, unlike yesterday. After about fifteen minutes of running, (y/n) finally made it to Altea High School. Opening the door, (y/n) walked through the office with Haggar glaring at her. Going into the hallway, the (h/c) haired girl checked her phone to see the time. She had a few minutes until class started, maybe she could grab a hot chocolate from the cafeteria! As she ran down to the cafeteria, (y/n) didn’t notice a certain group of teens when she passed them. Lance was leaning on Keith’s shoulder, telling him how he apparently killed it at football practice. “But you guys lucked out at home, man Shiro was not happy to find out that we forgot my equipment. The poor guy pretty much had an AFV moment” the blue eyed boy told them. Keith was visibly irritated by Lance leaning on him, which scared some bystanders into calmly walking away. “That's what Keith said last night! Did you borrow the extras?” Pidge asked. “No, they ran out and I had to keep on switching with this one guy on the team. But we made it work pretty well. And, I got to see the cheerleaders from across the field!” Lance exclaimed with a big grin. Keith groaned and moved farther away from Lance, who fell to the floor without Keith’s shoulder to support him. “What was that for?!” Lance growled while glaring at his older coal haired brother. “One, you didn’t even ask to lean on me. Two, you were so annoying that I couldn’t take it anymore. That’s all” Keith said as he smirked at his brother who was just laying on the floor with a pissed off look on his face. “Why you little…” Lance mumbled on the floor until he saw a certain pair of shoes run towards the cafeteria. He quickly got off the floor and stood up, catching the head of (h/c) hair runaway. “See ya guys! Hey (y/n) wait up!” Lance yelled, running after the girl. Pidge’s eyes followed her brothers, and a realization hit her. “Come on guys” Pidge said, having them follow her. (Y/n) had just gotten her hot chocolate from the lunch lady at the cash register. “Thanks” she said as she walked away. “(Y/n)!” a voice said urgently behind her. The (e/c) eyed girl turned her head to see Lance right behind her. “Ahhh!” (y/n) exclaimed, moving out of the way so she just narrowly missed getting knocked over by the brown haired boy. Lance skid past her to a stop, almost tripping over his own two feet. He looked behind him to see (y/n) in a defensive position as if she was bracing herself for impact. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to almost trample you!” Lance told her. “It’s alright, nothing to apologize for, right?” she said nervously, taking a nice sip of her hot chocolate. She relished the feeling of the heat traveling through her body. Lance sighed, relieved that he didn’t run her over. “Besides, I’m just glad you're n- ahhh!” (y/n) exclaimed as she was knocked down to the floor. But that wasn’t what surprised her. It was the burning feeling on her stomach that felt like she was being burned from the inside out. As she sat up, she looked up at the person who knocked her over. Her (e/c) eyes met a specific pair of angry gray purple eyes.  _ Of course. Who else would it be? _ , she thought. Pure rage burned through her as she picked up her now broken cup, throwing it in the trash. Keith looked down at the (e/c) eyed girl.  _ Oh shit, not her _ , he thought as he remembered what PIdge said yesterday.

Well, you're a stranger she just met. That and you ticked her off. It’s not like she’ll tell us her whole life story today. Just don’t bug her about it and it’ll all blow over

“I’m sorry. It was an accident” Keith said with nervous eyes as he held out his hand to her. Pidge and Hunk had just caught up to the three teens, scared looks on their faces. “Well, I don’t think you’d do it on purpose…” (y/n) mumbled angrily as she cleaned up the mess on the floor, trying to clean her shirt to no avail. The bell rang out, and students rushed to their first period class so they wouldn’t be late. She let out an irritated sigh, then faced Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. “I’ll see you guys in science. See ya” she said as she quickly ran to her class. “Keith! What the heck was that for I was going to get her number!” Lance yelled his brother. “I didn’t do anything! Hunk tripped me!” Keith yelled, giving Lance a hateful glare. “You were closer than I thought, I didn’t mean to!” Hunk said. “Let's fight about this later, or else we’re going to be late!” Pidge yelled as she walked away. The boys nodded and followed her. She was the smart girl in the family. “But I do agree with Lance. Great going,  _ Keith _ ” Pidge sarcastically said in a sassy voice and a smirk on her face. 

“GAHHHH! HUNK TRIPPED ME FROM BEHIND DAMN IT!”

“I. SAID. SORRY!”


	6. Chapter 6

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When the final bell finally rang out on Friday, everybody raced through the Altea High School doors, all eager to start their weekend. The week had gone by quicker than expected, mostly because everyone was more than ready for the football game. Football was practically Altea High’s lifeblood. It was something that everyone in the school loved, it showed their school spirit. So when school was finally out on Friday, there were only a few students who took their time getting ready to leave or stayed behind so they could practice for the first game of the football season. This included the cheerleaders for cheer practice, the band members for their half time show, and of course, the football team to go over plays and practice. Which meant that Hunk and Lance would be staying at the school until the game was over. Lance was the most excited of the pair, running around and acting like it was his first day living. He was wearing his football gear and jersey, while Hunk had on his uniform and tuba around him. Lance’s overexcitement was annoying Pidge to no end as they walked out of the school. The irritated was causing her to come closer and closer to her limit. 

“Man! I can’t wait to finally tackle someone! It’s like when a butterfly first comes out of its hanger!” 

“It’s called a cocoon Lance”

“Or when a shooting star finally is wished on!”

“Do you even go to science class?!”

“Or when a baby bird first learns to fly!”

“Ok, so I don’t have a scientific explanation for that at the moment…” Pidge said as she followed her two brothers. “Well, who cares about your depressing sciency stuff. I’m going to finally be able to show off my skills! And get (y/n)’s number! I can see it now...” Lance exclaimed with a sparkle in his eye, and a bright smile on his face as he looked down at Pidge. “Sorry bro, she won’t be going to the game tonight. She already has plans” Hunk said, causing Lance’s excitement to plummet instantly. “But, but… are you sure? How do you know this? Who told you?” Lance asked Hunk. “Oh, well, she’s in my history class! See, she listens when I talk about the food I make. Her face was so hilarious when I told that I cook my own food-”, “Hunk! Stay on topic” Lance told his brother. “Right! Right, sorry. Wandering mind here. Any Whoooooo… I invited her to to the football game since we’d all be here. But she said she already had plans,” Hunk explained. “She has a date!” Lance shouted. Sure, she was unbelievably gorgeous, but he didn’t think she’d get asked out so early in the year. “That’s what I said! But she told me that dating was the last thing she’d do at the moment. So don’t worry Lance. You still have a slight chance” Hunk said while placing his hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Yes!” Lance said with a grin. He was still in the game! Pidge looked down at the ground and straightened her glasses. “She’s probably working tonight. Maybe at the 50’s dinner. She mentioned in art since it’s Friday and the weekends means they’ll be busier and all...” Pidge thought out loud before a loud car horn was heard from the parking lot. “Pidge! Come on, your brothers have to go practice for tonight! We’ll see them in a few hours!” Shiro yelled from the car. He leaned his head back into the car and smiled. Keith was in the passenger seat with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. “You know Lance doesn’t stop talking though, right? He should be making his way over to practice. Not gossiping, or whatever it is he does” the coal haired boy said, looking out the window. “Stop, it’s Lance. That’s like telling you to start smiling more” Shiro said, laughing a little bit at Keith’s disapproving eyes. “He just has a lot to say, he’s a flirty social butterfly. It’s who he is” Shiro told Keith, who nodded his head and looked at Pidge. She was walking over to the car, waving goodbye to her brothers as they both walked over to the football field. Pidge got inside the car, setting her backpack down on the floor. “Floor it, I got homework due Monday and I don’t intend on waiting another second” she said sternly as she buckled her seat belt. Meanwhile, Lance and Hunk were walking towards the field, the raven haired band member ranting on about his thoughts. “I know that, but how is practice going to work if both the band and the football team are using it at the same time. I have no intention to get tackled whatsoever!” he exclaimed, a scared look on his face as he imagined getting tackled by a group of players. In his head, it doesn’t end well. “Umm, Hunk… Have you ever thought that maybe we practice on the field at different times? Or maybe band members are practicing somewhere else near the field?” Lance said, easing his brown eyed brother's nerves. Hunk’s eyes widened, realization settling in his eyes as he took in Lance’s words. “Oh. Well then… I sure do feel stupid. Like really stupid, just plain dumb. Why did I just figure it out? It seems so obvious! Now it does anyway. I mean, I obviously didn’t see it before,” Hunk said, stopping when he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. “Hunk, don't’ say that! You're really smart! Remember that time you had to figure out how to wire the TV? Even Pidge had trouble doing that. And you didn’t even know how to do anything like that at that time” Lance told Hunk with an encouraging look in his eyes and a bright smile on his face. “And don’t forget that time you figured out how to cook Thanksgiving turkey for the first time without help” Lance said, feeling his mouth drool a bit inside as he thought of the raven haired teens cooking. “Uhhhh, Lance? Lance!” Hunk yelled, pulling the football player out of his dazed state. “Oh! Sorry, bud. Well, I gotta get going or else I’ll have to do extra laps” told Hunk before dashing the rest of the way to the football field. Hunk smiled as he watched his childish brother run over to his other teammates, being his usual happy-go-lucky self. As he saw the other kids in the band, he couldn’t help but think how great it was to have a brother. No, not brother. It felt great to just have family in general.

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“LANCE! FOR THAT LAST TIME! RUN LIKE YOUR GOOD LOOKS DEPEND ON IT!” the coach screamed at Lance, who was running as fast as he could with the ball firmly in his hands away from the other team. “I SWEAR TO GO LANCE! IF THE GALRA WINS OUR FIRST GAME, YOU’LL BE DOING ONE HUNDRED LAPS NEXT PRACTICE!” he screamed again as the other team managed to tackle the brown haired quarterback. The coach swore up a storm, tending to get too caught up in the game as if lives were on the line. But he was a great coach, encouraging his players and helping out with their home lives if needed. But he mostly helped Lance learn new pick-up lines for girls. So the players often forgave him for his outbursts. After Lance walked back over to the bench getting a quick drink while sitting down, he started looking for his family in the stands. “Lance! Over here!” a voice yelled, successfully grabbing his attention. Lance’s tired face broke into a bright smile as he saw Pidge, Shiro, and Keith in the stands waving at him ecstatically. Except for Keith, who gave a small wave, and a slight smile on his face. Keith loved to watch football not play the actual sport. But his only problem was that it was too loud and crowded. Other than that, Keith loved the Friday night games and actually made an effort to make it to them. Shiro and Pidge, however, loved the sport with no equivalent. they even went as far as to wear the five Altea colors on their faces. And of course, along with the spirit wear from the school store. And blow horns, the very thing that made Keith lose his hearing for five minutes at a time. “You can do it Lance!” Shiro yelled, smiling wildly. “Shiro, calm down. If anyone can win this game, it’s Lance” Keith said. “I’m cheering him on. It’s my job to make sure he does a great job in life as much as I can. And if dressing up and wearing make-up means doing that, then so be it” Shiro told Keith. Keith shook his head with a slight smile.  _ Oh lord Shiro… _ , he thought as he went back to focusing on the game. “Shiro! Do you mind if I sit here with you and your family?” a feminine voice asked. Shiro looked over to see Alura standing next to a tall man in his late fifties with olive skin and light red hair, with a bushy mustache under his nose. “Sure! No problem. Who's this though?” the scarred man asked, scooting over to make room for his friend and the ginger. “This is my uncle who raised me. His name is Coran and he’ll be our new assistant principal starting next week” Alura explained, gesturing to Coran. Shiro shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Shiro. I’m the high school science teacher” he said. “Nice to meet you too. My names Coran Hieronymus Wimbledon Smythe. I can’t wait to- oooooh, that’s going to hurt in the morning!” Coran told Shiro. Shiro looked out to the field to see the players taking another knee. “Who is number thirty-seven?! He’s a killing machine!” Pidge exclaimed, popcorn flying everywhere was she stood up. Alura glared at thirty-seven. “I don’t know, but he’s practically a gladiator” she mumbled to herself. Back on the field, Lance was starting to doubt his skills. This player was unbelievable, he was fast, strong, and always seemed one step ahead of him. “Lance, come on, it’s almost half time! We can do it! Just one more touchdown and we’ll be ahead of them” one of the teammates said to him. “Alright. Yeah, let’s do this Todd!” Lance said in a determined voice. Lance got into his place on the field and took a deep breath. “Down! Set! Blue forty-two! Set Hut!” Lanced yelled, starting the play. Lance followed the play, catching the football in seconds. Lance ran across the field, dodging the opposite players launching themselves at him. Lance ran as fast as he could. Like, as the coach had said, his supposedly good looks depended on it. The blue eyed teen was almost to the goal when he could see number thirty-seven running over at him. Everything that happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. Lance braced himself for a deadly impact, holding the football close to his chest. He was so close to the goal, just a few more steps… Then, thirty-seven was tackled to the ground. The last thing Lance saw was familiar yellow orange eyes through the dark purple helmet. A loud whistle brought Lance back to normal time, and he fell down to the soft grass as he tried to stop himself. “YOU DID IT LANCE! GREAT JOB!” the coach yelled, jumping up and down like a smitten schoolgirl. Lance smiled and walked over to Todd, who stood up from the ground. “Thanks Todd, I couldn’t have done it without you!” the quarterback said. “No problem bud” Todd said as he gave Lance a thumbs up and ran off to go to the concession stand. Lance ran off to the stands to find his family which didn’t take long. Who wouldn’t be able to find them? Shiro and Pidge had blow horns and half of the freaking rainbow painted on their faces! Even he wasn’t dumb enough to miss them. “That was great Lance! And now we’re ahead!” Pidge yelled, hugging her older brother. She didn’t see that she was choking the life out of him. Once she released him from her death hug, Lance took a great big breath of air, never wanting to risk the feeling again.“I know, I thought I was a goner! I’m just glad it’s halftime and we can finally watch the halftime show” Lance said as the kids from band marched out to the field. Hunk was taking deep breaths, calming himself down. It was his first performance and he didn’t want to mess it up. He looked at the music notes in the mini stand on his tuba.  _ They don’t even seem like they're real notes anymore, just squiggly lines- No! I can’t think that way. I’ve been practicing since summer, and I will succeed! _ , Hunk thought, not noticing the strange looks on the faces of his peers as his expression changed. Then Hunk saw the band teacher with his baton and Hunk got ready. The second he began to play, everything seemed to go smoothly. From playing, all the way to the steps in the march. He felt like a different person as he played without worry, and it was great. When the final note was played, he heard the roaring of the crowd, and he couldn’t help the giant grin that came onto his face. As the band kids left the field, Lance gave him a thumb out before he ran out to the field again. He could win this.

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Lance was battered, beaten, and bruised. He sure was glad it was Saturday tomorrow. “All right, we all know the play?” he asked his teammates who were huddled in a circle. They all nodded their heads smiled, putting their hands in the middle. Lance joined them before he yelled their chant. “Go lions!” he yelled, and everybody ran to their positions. The score was twenty to twenty. And with only seconds to go before the game was over, it was anyone's game. But a few seconds was all they were going to need. “Down! Set! Blue forty-two! Set Hut!” Lance screamed, instantly putting the play into effect. As Lance ran down to the other end of the field, he successfully catches the ball and number thirty-seven dashed over to him.  _ This is going to hurt like hell! _ , Lance thought. Then he felt the bone crushing feeling of being tackled. It felt worse than hell. As he hit the ground, Lance couldn’t help but smirk as the Galra player looked down at him and noticed that the ball wasn’t there. He looked for the ball through his dark purple helmet, completely perplexed. Then the whistle sounded, and both of them looked over at the goal to see a player from Altea at the goal line doing a winning dance. Lance had thrown the ball at last second all the way across the field. Number thirty-seven growled and got off of Lance and walked over to his coach. The blue eyed teen just laid there and allowed his head to fall back onto the grass as he listened to the roaring of the crowd. His team did it. They had managed to win the first game of the season, and make their school proud.


	7. Chapter 7

  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) yawned as she turned up the radio, waiting for her toast to heat up. She was tired from working late at the dinner and dealing with the children at table seven. That, and she had to borrow a uniform since she outgrew hers, and has to wait for a new one to come in. But (y/n) figured she’d just sleep in on Saturday since she didn’t have any work on weekends unless she came to work anyways. That rarely happened though, because she loved her free weekends. (Y/n) leaned against the counter as she listened to the radio. “It’s a beautiful morning here in Altea! It’s sixty-nine degree right now. And now for the news you all want to hear! I am proud to say that Altea has won our first football game of the season against The Galra! The winning touchdown as made by Samuel Halls, number sixteen!” the announcer said in an enthusiastic voice. (Y/n)’s attention was pulled away from her radio when her toast popped up, and she spread her butter on it. “And now for the news. The new school year got off to a great start-”, “Hola (y/n/n)! Buenos días, are you ready for our stretches?” Mrs. Bailarín asked right after she barged into the apartment. “Hi, Mrs. Bailarín” (y/n) said with a tired voice as she took a big bite out of her toast. Mrs. Bailarín has been best friends with (y/n) since the first day she had to move here. At first the (h/c) haired teen hated the attention she got from the retired broadway actress. She’d force (y/n) to stretch, and insisted she learned how to dance every single style of ballroom dancing she knew of. But Mrs. Bailarín stuck around, became her family. She soon replaced her parents, who were never at home. Mrs. Bailarín was like her grandmother, and (y/n) loved her as if she’d known her whole life, and not just half a year. “Mrs. Bailarín, I’m still eating! Can’t we do this some other time?” (y/n) whined before swallowing her first piece of toast, and picked up her second. “No, we haven’t had a chance to do stretches at all this week! Do you know how stressful it was to wake up at ungodly hours to hope you’d stay and stretch with me?! I don’t know how you wake up that early” the retired broadway actress ranted, walking up to (y/n) and turning off the radio. “You are stretching with me whether you like it or not. Entender?” she asked, giving (y/n) a stern look. The teen sighed as he swallowed what was left of her breakfast and sighed. (Y/n) smiled as she reached for something on top of the fridge. “I understand. But we can’t do it without the CD” she said with kind eyes. “Oh, it’s not Elvis?” Mrs. Bailarín said disappointed. “No… It’s Phantom Of The Opera” (y/n) said slowly as she the CD in, and walked over to the living room and starting the stretches. The (h/c) haired girl looked over at her neighbor, a sly but joking look on her face. “Come on, I’m not going to this by myself. Or are you too old for these now?” the teen said in a joking manner. Mrs. Bailarín smiled, walking towards her. “You will eat your words. I’ve been doing them longer than you, and I’m going to show you up” Mrs. Bailarín told (y/n) as she joined her in the stretches. “And I will do it with pleasure. I wasn’t able to get the part of the wicked witch for nothing child” she told (y/n). The teen smirked, knowing she was being baited into a challenge. 

“Bring it on”

“Break a leg”

“Awww, thanks”

“No, I mean really, break a leg. As in, I’ll have to take you into the hospital with a shameful look of shame”

“Wow, aren’t you a ray of sunshine”

“Hago mi mejor esfuerzo”

(Y/n) giggled at her neighbor's attitude. She wouldn't admit it now, but she started to miss the stinging stretches. She missed Mrs. Bailarín.

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“Hunk, please pass the bacon” Lance asked in his blue robe, his face all shiny thanks to the mask he wore in his sleep. Lance believed that facial masks were a necessity and that it was important to always look your best. Whenever they went shopping Lance used his money to by facial products like face wash, moisturizers, and anything else he deemed useful. It especially paid off when a cute girl asked him for advice. It got him teased by his family a lot, but he didn’t mind. He knew that they were just “jealous”. “Sure thing Lance” Hunk said, passing a plate full of bacon. The brown haired teen looked down at the plate before frowning. “Hey! Wait a minute! Where's the crunchy bacon?” Lance asked, looking at Shiro. He was reading the newspaper while taking a sip out of his “Universe’s Best Dad!” mug, and on his plate was a pile of the remaining crunchy bacon. I was a known fact that Shiro loved crunchy bacon, and hogged it before anybody ever had a chance to even take a single piece. And if you wanted a piece of crunchy bacon, you had to practically battle him for it. But no one fought Shiro. Never ever. Lance looked at the man across from him eating his bacon, not seeming to notice the problem at all. Lance let out a growl. “This is an abuse of power!” he exclaimed, abrupting standing from his chair and pointing at the gray eyed man. Shiro swallowed his coffee, set the mug down on the table, and looked up from his paper. “What did you say, Lance? I didn’t hear you” he said genuinely, turning his head to face his son. “Gahhh!” Lance said, throwing his arms in the air and sitting down. Hunk walked over to Lance holding a pile of pancakes in a tray. “Calm down Lance. I prepared for this and made a new batch that should be done in a minute. In the meantime, eat this” the raven haired teen said as he plopped two pancakes on Lance’s plate. Lance’s eyes brightened up like a child as he grabbed the maple syrup and poured it on. “Oh no Lance, that much sugar will make you lose you girlish figure” a tired voice joked. Lance glared at Keith as he grabbed a plate from the cupboard and sat down in his seat. Lance cut his food and stared at Keith with an annoyed look on his face. “No one asked for your opinion, Keith! I can pig out every once in a while too” Lance told Keith in a stuck-up tone. Keith rolled his eyes and smiled. “Please Lance, I’m a guy. I pig out as often as possible, there's no shame in that” Keith said as Hunk piled five large pancakes on his plate. Keith smirked as he saw the disbelief on his brother's face. The blue eyed teen stared at his older brother's plate with wide eyes.  _ How can one person eat all that?! I mean, I’m taller than him! Maybe not by that a lot much, but still _ , Lance thought. “I just don’t know how this much,” he said as he extended his arms out. “Can fit into such a tiny little person?” the blue eyed teen asked, directing his arms at Keith. The coal haired teen swallowed his mouthful of food. “Lance… you're only an inch taller than me” Keith said as his eyes narrowed at his younger brother. Being rival brothers, Keith and Lance have always been one-upping each other. And when Lance finally grew taller than his oldest brother, he was ecstatic. But Lance never taunted Keith bout it, only reminded him. Pidge walked in the kitchen with her hair everywhere and her glasses missing from her head. “Morning everyone. Hunk, I need toast and I need it stat” she said before she went to the fridge and opened it. The hazel eyed girl grabbed the milk and twisted off the cap. Lance’s eyes widened. “Pidge, no… please no” he begged. Pidge smirked before she drank right from the carton. Lance glared daggers at her. “Oh man up. It was just milk” Pidge told him. “Pidge, you know the rule about drinking straight from the carton. Don’t do it when people are around” Shiro said from the table as he stood up and stretched his arms. Shiro groaned as his joints popped. “Alright Keith, I’m going shopping after I finish grading papers. Fix the car after breakfast and put away dishes. Lance, you wash dishes. Hunk, you’ll be coming with me. Pidge, clean the living room and kitchen” Shiro told the group of teens, who nodded their heads. Pidge raised her hand. “Yes?” Shiro asked. “Can I call (y/n) and see if we can hang out today?” Pidge asked. “Umm… Sure. Why not” Shiro said with a smile as he walked out of the room to go work. “Why do you want her to come over?” Keith asked. “How did you get her number?!” Lance asked in a dramatic way. Pidge shrugged her arms. “She needs help in math, and I only have her house number Lance” she explained. Lance smiled. “Oh. Then in that case-” “No, I will not give you her house number. Not even The Galra deserves that punishment” Pidge said. Keith rolled his eyes.  _ If she wanted him to be able to contact her, she would have given him the number herself _ , Keith thought. “Haha! Saw that one coming. Now, If you’ll excuse me, I have a shopping list to make” Hunk told them before he walked off to his room.


	8. Chapter 8

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Lance smiled as he cleaned the dishes. It was his favorite job, which he found weird about himself. But then again, he found a lot of things about himself weird. Like how he’d brush his teeth in the shower. Doing the dishes helped clear his mind, and it was fun to annoy his coal haired older brother by flicking bubbles from the dish soap in his face. It was great. “Lance. Stop it now” Keith growled with venom in his voice. “Awwww, but you're so cute when you're mad!” Lance said to Keith with a bright smile, who was giving him the death look. Keith sighed before he put away a glass cup in the cupboard, and walked out of the kitchen. Keith walked across the living room to the stairs, going up to his room and grabbing his red jacket. He walked down the hall to the last door and looked inside to see Shiro grading his papers. He was almost done with them all, only a few more to go. “Why are there so many idiots in my classes?” he asked himself quietly. “Alright Shiro, I’m going to fix the car” Keith told the scared man. “Ok. This shouldn't take too long. Please have it be done in fifteen minutes” Shiro told the coal haired boy. “Gotcha. Oh, and one other thing. I don't think it's appropriate for a teacher to call their students idiots” Keith said with a cocky smirk as he quickly walked away from the room. He already knew that Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise, he didn't think anybody had heard his comment. Keith rushed down the stairs and went straight to the car. Shiro told him that the brakes needed fixing, and that they hadn't been working right all week.  _ Should be an easy fix _ , Keith thought as he got into the car and pulled it into his garage. Keith hopped out of the car and rushed around the garage, grabbing all the tools he’d need. After he placed his tools right by the car, Keith reached under his desk and grabbed a skateboard from under it. The coal haired boy walked over to the car and laid his back on the skateboard, and rolled under it and began to get to work on the brakes. Meanwhile, Pidge had just gotten done with cleaning the living room and the kitchen. She despised cleaning but loved to organize, as strange as it is. She could sort out anything, anywhere, at anytime, but she hated to clean. Her room was proof enough for that statement to be a stone cold fact. “Let's see, where's that house phone number?” Pidge asked herself as she looked through her messy room. “I know I put you in here somewhere… Aha!” Pidge exclaimed as she picked a small piece of paper. “There you are. I knew I’d find you” she told herself. The hazel eyed girl reach for her night stand where her phone lay, charging. The night stand was the only clean thing in her room. No garbage, or dirty socks, or month old pizza boxes. It was clean with the small green lamp, dust free. Pidge unplugged her phone and put in her password. After making a contact for her friend, Pidge dialed the number and waited for someone to answer. Finally, someone picked up, and Pidge heard the familiar happy voice of (y/n). 

“Hello? This is the (l/n) residence”

“Hi (y/n), It’s Pidge”

“Hi Pidge, whats up?” 

“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know when you wanted to come over and practice math?”

“Oh! I forgot about that. Um, how about three o’clock?”

“That sounds perfect”

“Okay, bye- I can see you sneaking that ace Josie!”

Pidge raised an eyebrow as her friend on the other line hung up.  _ Josie? Who the hell is Josie? _ , she thought as she shrugged her shoulders. Pidge got up from her messy bed and headed out of her room. She walked down the hallway to Shiro’s room. Pidge looked into it to find him still grading the last remaining papers. “Hey Shiro, (y/n) is coming over so I can her with math” Pidge said, taking Shiro’s attention away from his papers. “Great, at what time?” he asked. “Three o’clock” the hazel eyed girl said. Shiro thought for a minute.  _ We have family dinner at four, but it shouldn’t take that long to help her with math. And if she does stay that long, I don’t think her parents would mind having her eat here… _ , Shiro thought. “That’ll work out. Ok, thanks Pidge” Shiro told her. Pidge smiled as she walked away, letting Shiro do his work.

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“I’m just saying, you don’t even come from mexico so why do you speak in spanish sometimes?” (y/n) asked Mrs. Bailarín, or Josie. They were cleaning up the deck of cards and the pile of M&M's from the table. “Because, my abuela wouldn’t let us talk to her in english, and we lived by the border. Everybody spoke spanish! My family, the florist, the dentist, even the handsome drug dealer down the street. It was part of life” she said as she ate all the M&M’s. “Well, then why did you teach me?” the (h/c) haired teen asked, putting the deck of cards on a drawer by the sink. “I never to taught you  _ any _ spanish. You just happened to pick up. And now you can insult in spanish along with me!” Mrs. Bailarín said excitedly, her red lips curling into a bright smile. (Y/n) stopped what she was doing, realization dawning on her. She slowly turned around to face her neighbor with a surprised look on her face. “It was  _ you _ . You were the one who screamed at me on my first day of school!” she exclaimed as Mrs. Bailarín wore a expressionless face. “So?” the retired broadway actress said. (Y/n) sighed as she slowly shook her head. “Nevermind. J-just nevermind” she said as she looked over at the stove. The time read two-forty five. “God, I’m gonna be late. Mrs. Bailarín, can you give me a ride to a friends house? It’s for school” (y/n) asked, giving her neighbor a pleading look. “Sí. Come with me and get in the automobile” Mrs. Bailarín told the teen, who rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.  _ Oh Mrs. Bailarín, only you would call you car that _ , the (h/c) haired teen thought happily. (Y/n) went and picked up her backpack from the couch and followed her crazy neighbor to her  _ automobile _ . Mrs. Bailarín sat in her car, and applied a fresh coat of red lipstick before turning to the teen next to her in the passenger seat. “Want any make-up?” the retired broadway actress asked. “Oh no. Thanks though” (y/n) said. “Address?” Mrs. Bailarín asked. (Y/n) digged through her backpack and pulled out a piece of paper with Pidge’s address on it. Mrs. Bailarín looked at it before she pulled into the road. “Alright. Let’s go” she said. The drive over there wasn’t too bad, it was actually pretty calm for once. (Y/n) told her all about Pidge, and her family. “They all sound good for you. You could be more bold, less shy… Well, we’re here. Now, make sure to punch that one boy if he tries anything. Got it?” Mrs. Bailarín told her sternly. “Yeah, I got it. Love you” (Y/n) told her before she got out of the car. Mrs. Bailarín looked at the teen one last time before driving away from the house. (Y/n) walked up to the door and knocked on it. Shiro opened the door to see the (h/c) haired teen standing in front of the door. “Hey (y/n)! Come on in, Pidge is up stairs in her room,” he said as he opened the door more, allowing her to come inside. “So, where are your parents?” the scared man asked. “Oh. My neighbor drove me here. My parents are never home” (y/n) hold him, looking around. “Ok. I’m just about to go out shopping with Hunk, so Lance and Keith are here also. Bye” Shiro said as he headed out the door. The teenage girl’s mood went down when she heard the coal haired boys name. She had hoped he wouldn’t be here, but apparently, he had to be for some reason. (Y/n) looked around until she saw the stairs, and headed up, figuring the bedrooms must be up their. As she went up, she heard two sorts of music coming from different rooms. One was a romantic slow song, and the other one was a  _ Fall Out Boy _ song. “ _ AND I SWEEEEAAAARRR!!! BY THE MOOOOOON AND THE STARS IN THE SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIES!!! _ ” a loud voice sang out suddenly. “Lance, for the last quiznaking time, shut up!” another voice yelled back. “We know you love  _ Boyz 2 Men  _ Lance, but be quiet!” a familiar voice that belonged to a hazel eyed girl yelled. Well, now she knew whose room was who’s. She walked down the the hallway to an open door that Pidge’s voice came from. She looked in the room the find Pidge, sitting at her cleaned off desk. “Hey (y/n)! Come on, I cleaned the bed for you” Pidge said as she patted her hand on her bed. (Y/n) stepped over a small pizza box and laid down on the bed, pulling out her math notes from her backpack. “Ok, so. What do you need help with? I can help you with _ anything _ ” Pidge told her friend, pulling out a piece of paper and pencil. “Umm, this was the pre-test. The one that was supposedly “easy” to pass” (y/n) said as she slowly gave the paper to the hazel eyed girl. Pidge looked at the paper before her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she almost choked on air. Meanwhile, Keith was in his room looking at a knife that was wrapped up in a protective cloth. Memories were flashing through his head, both good and bad. “How?! How can you get this bad of a grade?!” Pidge yelled, reaching his ears. Keith quickly got up and walked over to his younger sister's room, where he saw Pidge looking down at a paper in horror. And on the bed was (y/n) with her head down, her hands over her face in shame. He internally groaned at the sight of her, but kept the annoyance he felt down and out of the way. “What’s going on?” Keith asked. “You know that pretest in math that everybody passed?” Pidge asked her older brother, holding a piece of paper so that he couldn’t see what was on it. “Yeah. Even the dumb redhead chick who’s been in our grade for three years passed it. Why?” he told Pidge, starting to worry with what’s going to happen. Pidge looked towards (y/n), who was now hiding behind her hair, still facing the floor. “Can I show him?” the hazel eyed girl asked. (Y/n) hesitantly shook her head yes. Pidge slowly handed Keith the paper. “Oh come on. It can’t be that bad. I bet you're overreacting because of girly hormones” he said before he looked at the grade. His eyes widened to an inhuman size which surprise the other two people in the room. “How… this is material we already learned! I didn’t think you’d be more stupid than Lance?!” Keith said. (Y/n) narrowed her eyes and picked up a water bottle and threw it as hard as she could, hitting Keith in the forehead. “Ow! What was that for!” he yelled. “I’m not stupid! I just never learned any of this! It…” (y/n) explained, snatching her paper away with a pained look. “Doesn’t make sense” she said finally. Pidge looked at her brother with a harsh look. It’s true that he can say some harsh things, but that seemed uncalled for. And she knew (y/n) took everything that was said to her to heart. “Keith, get out right now. If you don’t mind, I have a friend to help” the young teen said as she shoved her brother out of her room and closed the door. She turned to look at her friend, who was still wearing that pained look on her face. “Don’t listen to him, he’s a jerky emo who says mean thing sometimes, it’s a common guy thing. You're not dumb. Just uninformed, and I’m here to inform, and help you” Pidge said, sitting at her desk. (Y/n) smiled as she grabbed her math notes and began to get to work. It was hard teaching her, since she didn’t have a clue what the material was. But Pidge wouldn’t give up, and eventually found a way that made sense to (y/n), and worked. And in an hours time, she was getting every answer right. Hunk was walking towards his sisters room, hearing Pidge and (y/n) talk while she worked on a problem. “Hahaha! And then he proposed to her right there on stage!” (y/n) said, laughing. Hunk smiled as he opened the door, gaining their attention. “Hey guys, dinner is just about done. (Y/n), you can stay if you want” the raven haired teen offered, giving her a kind, warm smile. (Y/n) smiled gently, looking at the two. She sighed before she started to pack up all her notes. “I’m sorry, I can’t. Mrs. Bailarín will be having a fit if I don't call her in a minute, and I have leftovers from the fifties dinner that will go old in a few days. But thanks for your offer. It was nice” she told the two, as she stood up and gave them both a hug. “See you both at school. I’ll say bye to everybody else downstairs” (y/n) told them as she left the room, and headed down stairs where she left the family behind. She admitted, it felt nice to go there. It almost felt like a third home in a really tiny way.


	9. Chapter 9

  
  
  
  
  
  


Pidge, Hunk, Lance, Keith, and Shiro all walked into school morning with a tired look on their faces. The weekend had gone by too fast, and they still weren’t used to waking up so early yet but they were slowly getting there. “Man, why can’t school just start later! Shiro, you're a teacher. Can’t you convince Allura to change the time” Lance whined. Shiro rubbed his eyes and yawned before staring blankly at the blue eyed teen. “Lance, I’m good friends with Allura, but I don’t think I can make her change her mind. She’s as stubborn as a bull” Shiro told the group of teens, unaware of the presence of two people behind them. Lance nodded in agreement. “Oh don’t we know it! She’s  _ more _ stubborn than a bull” he said. “Oh I’m stubborn am I?” a feminine voice asked, making Shiro’s eyes widen in fear.  _ Oh quiznak she heard me _ , he thought. His heartbeat increased and his mouth went dry as he turned around to see Allura and her ginger haired uncle, Coran. She had her hands on her hips, with a smile and a irritated look on her face. Coran chuckled at his nieces response to Shiro’s statement. “Well, you  _ are _ very stubborn. You got it from your father. And god knows how stubborn  _ he _ was” he said, fiddling with his mustache as he remembered Allura’s father. He was a great man, but he died of illness when Allura was young. That’s why she had to be raised by him. They were each other's only family left. But it toughened her up and made her appreciate what family she had left. “A-Allura! Wow! Nice to see you! So, how was your weekend? Coran? K-kids?!” Shiro said nervously as he looked behind him to she the group of teens running down the hall, not wanting to get roped into this. They had witnessed first hand just how frightening their principle could. And it was not pretty. Shiro was internally screaming at them, not wanting to be left alone with the she-devil. Meanwhile, Lance looked back at Keith with a worried look. “Was that really a good idea! I mean, he’s our first class of the day, and he’s in charge at home” Lance explained. Keith looked back at Lance as he ran. “Who would you guys rather deal with? Shiro… or Allura?” Keith asked Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. They all gulped and slowed down. “Shiro,  _ definitely _ Shiro” Hunk said. “That’s what I thought” the coal haired boy said. Hunk sighed as he leaned against the wall. “Man, you know he’s gonna get us all back in science,” he stated, his siblings nodding in agreement. They all began to think of ways to get out of the pickle they were in, each idea seeming to lead to failure by Pidge’s calculations. “Great, this sucks. We save ourselves from death, and Shiro blames us for running” Lance said crossing his arms across his chest. Hunk seemed to be in deep thought. There had to be some way to get out of this dilemma. “What if we used someone as a shield, a really good student?” Hunk asked Pidge, who had a defeated look on her face. “No. Shiro would still punish us regardless of who we hide behind” she told the raven haired teen. They all sighed, accepting whatever fate had in store for them. The bell rang and they looked at each other with a sullen look on their faces. They walked into science class and sat down at their table that Shiro assigned them all to. Pidge looked over at the table to see (y/n) reading her book, having no clue of her surroundings. She didn’t even acknowledge her lab partners that sat down at the table. Pidge smiled as she knew what to do. Quiet as she could be, Pidge walked over to (y/n), sneaking behind her without being seen. “Boo!” she exclaimed, grabbing the (h/c) haired girl’s shoulders from behind. (Y/n) jumped up from her seat, her book flying up a few inches from her hands. “Hahahahahaha!” Pidge laughed. (Y/n) whipped her head around. “Pidge! That wasn’t funny!” she scolded the hazel eyed girl. “Yes it was (y/n), it was hilarious” Pidge said. “Go sit in your seat” the (h/c) haired girl told her friend. Pidge listened and ran back to her seat with a bright smile. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at her friend with a small smile and went back to reading her book. Shiro walked in to see his students all at their seats. He looked over at Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge’s table to see them looking like it was doomsday. Shiro smirked.  _ It may not be the end of the world, but it’ll feel like it _ , he thought. “Hello students, I hope you enjoyed the football game on Friday. I thought we would end up tying up with the Galra for a second! The weekend was pretty good, I was able to grade all your papers. Some of you could really use extra credit to bring your grade up right about now” he said as he passed out papers. (Y/n) picked hers up and said “thank you” as she looked at the grade her paper got. She smiled as she saw a B+ in green by her name.  _ At least I know I’m not one of the failing kids _ , she thought. “A C+! I was so close to a B-!” Lance exclaimed, gaining the attention of everybody in the room. The blue eyed teen let out a nervous laughed and blushed a shade of red. “Sorry everybody! G-go on about your business” he announced, getting strange looks from his classmates. They all slowly went to quietly talking among themselves. “Great going dork” Keith told Lance in a harsh voice. “If I could control all my actions, I would. Sometime I act before I think” Lance said with his head held high. Keith rolled his eyes at his dramatic brother. He loved Lance, but it was hard  _ not _ to be mad at him. They were like fire and ice, always were since they were little kids. The only difference is that now they know how to hold back. “Oh please Lance, you always act without thinking. Last year you tried to fix the electricity and ended up twitching for weeks because you got shocked so bad” Keith explained. “Shut up mullet” Lance mumbled. Pidge and Hunk quietly laughed at the argument, knowing the truth in their oldest brother's words. “Alright everybody. Quiet down, we have a lesson to get to today” Shiro said before he started to write on the whiteboard. “Who here remembers what we learned last week on Friday?” Shiro asked, several people raising their hands. All throughout class Shiro had a victorious smile on his face. It seemed unnatural though. Every word he said, he said with a smile. It was starting to scare the students a little bit. But it was nothing compared to what the table in the back was feeling. Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were now silently and internally freaking out. They have been waiting all throughout the class period for Shiro to punish them, but it never came. The anxiety was growing rapidly, slowly killing them from the inside out until they were asking themselves if they were still sane. When was Shiro going to get it over with already! Maybe he didn’t even want to punish them and understood he would have done the same thing. Unlikely, but the group decided it was the most logical explanation. “Alright, before we go, I have something important to say before the bell rings” Shiro said. Everyone turned their heads towards the teacher, listening for whatever he had to say. “I finally found a nice group of kids who volunteered to clean the desks of bubblegum after school. If you would all direct your attention to Keith, Pidge, Lance, and Hunk in the back table. Have a good day!” Shiro said with a bright smile. Hunk and Lance’s eyes widened in fear, realizing they would have to clean every single piece of gum in the classroom. It was worst than anything they could even think. Lance could have swore he saw a spider crawl out of one piece when he last looked under the desk. As the bell ringed, (y/n) caught up with Lance and Pidge. “What did you guys do?” she asked. Lance sighed before he looked at the floor. She had never saw him without a happy face before, it was a strange sight. “We ran away from a war between heaven and hell” he said before he turned to go inside his next classroom. (Y/n) turned to her friend with a confused look on her face. “Please don’t ask. I’ll tell you later” Pidge said as she straightened her glasses. As they walked down the hallway, the two girls saw a crowd of girls around a sign-up poster. As the crowd died down, (y/n) saw that the poster was for the homecoming dance at the end of the month. “Wow, I didn’t realize we were so close to that” (y/n) said. “I knew, Allura told me about it at the football game. It sound like it’s going to be fun” Pidge told her with an excited smile. “Well well, I didn’t think a boy would be interested in becoming homecoming queen” a snobby voice said behind the two girls. Pidge and (y/n) knew who it was and turned around. “Hi Nyma” Pidge said without any emotion in her voice. “Awww, don’t be sad. I’m sure you’ll have a small chance” she said as she walked passed them and signed her name on the poster. “Oh, I’m not signing up! (Y/n) just wanted to-”. “Oh how cute! You think that you can beat me!” the blonde haired teen said in a happy voice. (Y/n) blushed and shook her head no. “No, I wasn’t going to sign! I wanted to see why there was a crowd, and what the poster was for! I have no intention of signing up whatsoever” she explained. “A little stage fright huh?” the blonde haired teen asked. “I guess you could say that” (y/n) said, scratching the nape of her neck. She didn’t feel safe under the stare of those false pink eyes. It felt like she was being judged or something. Nyama smirked before she walked away. “Alright. See you guys in gym!” she said as she walked away. “Pidge, I have a bad feeling about what I told her” (y/n) said. “Me too. Come on, we’ll be late for class” Pidge said as she pulled (y/n) to their next class. The (h/c) haired girl didn’t like the smile on Nyma’s face. If she was honest, it scared her. It reminded her of a villain before they committed their master plan. And she really didn't want to see what that was. But she’d worry about that later. Right now, she had a test in math to get though. And she was sure she could pass thanks to Pidge. “You better pass this test or so help me! All that frustration would go to waste!” Pidge told her friend, making her giggle. “Don’t worry. I practiced some more over the weekend” the (h/c) haired girl said. “You better” Pidge mumbled as she walked into class with (y/n) behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Nyma popped her head out of the girls bathroom after waiting a while when the bell had rang. She turned off her phone and shoved it in her pocket. She looked around, her fake pink eyes scanning the hallway to make sure that no one was anywhere to be seen. There wasn’t a single person, it was as empty as a desert. Not even the janitor was in the hallway.  _ I’m surprised there's no tumbleweed rolling anywhere _ , she thought as she ran over to the homecoming queen sign-up sheet. As she looked at all the names, she smirked. The list sure was long, but not long enough. It needed just one more signature, that was all. Nyma reached into her other pocket and grabbed a dark blue pen and clicked it. After quickly scribbling a name on it, she couldn’t help but admire her handy work. Her plan had to work, and it would. The blonde haired girl shoved her pen back into her other pocket and walked down the hallway to her classroom. She had to be about half an hour late for class. And it wouldn't be the last time she was late. She opened the door to her classroom. The teacher looked at her with an irritated look. “Nyma, where have you been this time! Know what, I don’t care. Two hour detention after school today and I don’t care if you have plans or sports. Now sit down young lady” the teacher said as he pointed next to the seat next to Pidge. Nyma smiled proudly as she walked to her desk and sat down. All throughout class she didn’t say one word, which worried Pidge. Usually she’d say snarky remarks and other things like throw notes which the hazel eyed teen threw away as she got them. But Nyma did nothing. And she kept on taking glances at Pidge and smiling excitedly. The hazel eyed girl finally truly understood how her best friend felt. She hated to think about what she was smiling about. But knowing of Nyma since her middle school years, she had to have a nasty plan. And Pidge didn’t want to find out what it was the hard way.

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Hunk was scraping out the gum from one of the tables, trying to work against his gag reflexes. And no one was blaming him whatsoever. In fact, Lance and Pidge were right there with him, trying to hold back their own lunches. “Man, this sucks. I don’t get it. I’m the good child! I should be sitting next to Shiro feeling guilty that I’m not helping when I really did nothing!” the raven haired teen complained as he threw the piece of gum that was wadded up in a paper towel in a bucket. “Hunk, shut up. You wanted to run away just as badly as the rest of us. It’s not our fault that Keith has quick thinking, or that it was a smart choice” Pidge said, trying to scrub off a solid piece of gum. She sighed as she set down her green rag. “Lance? You doing ok? You haven’t spoken in a-”. “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Lance screamed in fear. “I found the spider! It crawled out of the gum with an egg sack!!!!” he shouted, freaking out. The blue eyed boy jumped on top of the science table and pointed at a huge spider walking out from the under the table. And on its back was an egg sack. Hunk and Pidge both screamed and backed away from the spider, not wanting to be anywhere near it. But the screaming stopped when a black boot stepped on it, successfully killing it and it’s future offspring. Shiro looked at Lance with a emotionless face. “Lance, cut it out. It was a spider, not a alien monster from another planet that has you surrounded while you're deathly injured. Your  _ fine _ ” Shiro told Lance as he walked away from the teen still standing on the tabled. Lance whimpered before climbing down and going back under the table. Shrio walked back to his desk where Keith as standing, his arms crossed and his face pissed off. “Keith, I’m not going to ask you again. Go de-gum a table” Shiro told Keith. “Shiro, I already told you. I’m not going to de-gum a single table. I took my siblings to safety away from an angry Allura. You’re just mad because you couldn’t” Keith said. Shrio groaned. He was so close to cracking. Why did teenagers have to be this way? Why did  _ Keith _ have to be this way! “Why are you so rebellious! Where did I go wrong? Even I wasn’t like this when I was your age! It wasn’t even that long ago and I’m not like that at all!” Shiro exclaimed. “Shiro, you're in your early thirties” Keith told him. “Listen, I won’t give in unless I have a  _ real _ reason to” the coal haired boy said, looking Shiro in the eyes. “Fine! You're being disrespectful and talking back! There's a reason!” Shiro said. “Fine! That’s good enough” Keith said in a bitter voice and walked off to join his siblings. Shiro starred as he went to work, wondering what the heck just happened. With Keith helping to clean the tables, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were all done in no time, since Keith was stronger than the rest and didn’t care that it was gross. And he had no gag reflex. When they were done Shiro checked their work and had them wash your hands. Shiro had them line up in a row and checked underneath the tables. After he was done he walked up to them and smiled. “Well done, you guys did well. Now get in the car, we’ll be late” Shiro said as he ushered them through the hall and outside to the car. They all sat in the car, silent. Pidge sat by the window, propping her head on her hand. Her eyes widened as they passed the road into her neighborhood. “Shiro, we missed our road” Pidge stated as she looked out the window. “I know. I figured we’d go out to dinner tonight” the scarred man said, hearing the excited shouts from the teens. “Thank you!” they said as he parked the car up to a restaurant. They all piled out of the car, pushing and shoving, leading to the four teens falling out of the door when Shiro opened it. “Ahhhh!” they all yelled as they hit the sidewalk. They looked up at Shiro to see him smiling down on them and close the car door and locking it. “Get up you goofballs, their specials are almost over!” he said excitedly as he walked up to the restaurant doors. The teens all stood up and followed Shiro inside where they chose a table to sit down at. Keith looked around. They haven’t been out to eat since summer so it’s been a while. Even then, they didn’t eat out all that much so it was pretty rare. “Alright guys, order fast” Shiro told them, picking up a menu. They all did the same, almost instantly finding what they wanted for a drink and food. Pidge looked down at her menu as a waitress came over. “Hi, I’m (y/n) your waitress. Can I take your order?” she said. Pidge looked up to see (y/n) in her uniform. Her (h/c) hair was put up into a neat but messy ponytail, and she wore a bright red nineteen fifties halter neckline dress that fanned out at the skirt. And on her feet were black chunky heels. Lance’s head shot up, his eyes practically having hearts in them along with a big grin. “(Y/n)! I didn’t know you worked here!” he said. “Yeah, it’s the fifties dinner I told you guys about” the (h/c) haired girl said. “Well, I love the uniform. Looking good” Lance said, making (y/n) roll her eyes. “Well, what do you guys want?” she asked. Hunk raised his hand instantly. “I’ll take a double hamburger with lettuce, bacon and tomatoes. And a pepsi!” he exclaimed. Pidge put down her menu and went next. “I’ll have a corn dog with ketchup, and water” the hazel eyed girl said. Keith looked at her with a irritated gaze.  _ She's everywhere now. School, home, and this dinner _ , he thought. It was bad enough he had to deal with her three times almost daily. She was so infuriating and could be such a smart alec at times, but only when she fought. Not in a brotherly way like Lance, but like an enemy kind of way. Like two students who just can’t help but fight every time they run into each other. They just couldn't get along. They had tried to in english and art, but it only made things worse, getting sent to the Allura’s office covered in paint. “I’ll have a whole large pizza with water” he said simply. “By yourself?!” (y/n) asked, her eyes widening. “Keith has what I call a texan appetite” Hunk laughed. Then Shiro. “I’ll have a hot dog with a side of fries, along with coke” he said. (Y/n) scribbled down the orders and looked at Lance when she was done. “I’ll have a cheeseburger with pickles, mustard, ketchup, all that stuff. Another coke and a date after your shift is done” he said while flashing her a flirty grin. “I’m sorry, but my shift ends before your bedtime” (y/n) said. “Whens that?” Lance asked, his face sceptical. “Just shy of nine-thirty” she said. Shiro looked at her confused. “Your parents let you?” he asked. If it were his kids, they would be home by eight. How long has her parents been ok with this? “Well, they're pretty much not around to care or say anything about it. Plus, I make it work out fine” she said as she took the menus and walked away to give the order to the cook. Pidge straightened out her glasses, looking at the table. “She basically lives alone. Her parents are never home. Says they travel  _ a lot _ , and her neighbor takes care of her. She says she's more of a family than her parents” Pidge said explained. Lance’s face took on a sad expression, looking down at the table. “Man, I can't even imagine it in my head. Must be tough sometimes” the blue eyed teen said. Their conversation was cut short by loud slap that rang through the dinner. The whole restaurant looked at the source of the sound to see one of the waitresses. She had tan skin and dark hair. She looked livid with an angry blush on her face. “This is a family dinner, which means we keep our hands to ourselves and off other people's asses!” she exclaimed as she walked away. “The Galra kids are here again” (y/n) groaned as she placed a tray full of food down. “Huh?” Keith said. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at him in vexation. “If you had bothered to listen, you would know that those guys are from Daibazaal, the Galra. Our mortal enemy. They've been coming here for the last few weeks. They did it to me, and I slapped them too” she said as she set Keith’s pizza in front of him. “The owner is so close to being able to ban them from the property. Anywho, have a nice meal” (y/n) said as she walked away from them. The rest of the night was stress free, and everyone talked, just having a fun night. The meal was great, and Lance thought (y/n) was a great waitress. But they had to leave eventually. “Ok guys, heres your check. And before you ask, no. I cannot give you a discount” (y/n) said as she walked away to the kitchen, taking a plate with her. The cook looked at her as she went to the sink and cleaned the plate. He had black hair and tan skin, his uniform having a few stains on it. “Like the new uniform kid, it fitting nice?” he asked as he flipped a burger. “Yeah, fits nice and has a great twirl” she said as a waitress came in. She was the one who slapped the Galra student. “Dad, I can’t take those guys anymore” she said. “I know Jessie, they’ll be out of here soon enough. And nice slap by the way! I think his face is still red” the cook said as he hugged his daughter, Jessie. “I think that was the best slap they were given yet!” (y/n) said. “Thanks, yours was great last week too” Jessie said. (Y/n) smiled as he put the clean dish with the others and walked out to the now empty table where Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Pidge once sat. As she cleaned up, she saw the tip and picked it up. After she was done, (y/n) packed up all her stuff and left for home where she could finally go home and sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

  
  
  
  
  
  


Pidge walked through the halls, ignoring her brothers squabbling in the backgrounds. Hunk was holding back Keith from a smirking Lance, and it looked ugly. The coal haired boy had feral look on his face while he tried to grab ahold of Lance, but Hunk hugged Keith from behind. It was working great so far, and Keith was starting to calm down. “Lance, I swear to god…” Keith mumbled as he glared fiercely. “You’ll what Mullet” Lance said in a cocky voice. This week at school had been a real… it was really something since it was the week of the homecoming game. And Lance was feeling extra confident for this game. Keith growled and pushed Hunk off of him, deciding not to physically assault Lance. “Well, not that this isn't fun,… but I’m gonna leave Hunk to deal with this. Bye!” Pidge said cheerfully as she walked away from the group. “What was that about? She never leaves us usually” Hunk said, looking at his brothers. “Pidge said she left her history project on a flash drive, which she forgot in the computer lab” Keith explained. “Did she check her room? Let’s be honest, it was probably the bed monster. I mean, she said it ate my pizza one time” Lance said,looking at the ceiling as if thinking hard, trying to remember all the details. “Suuuuuuurrrre. It was a ‘bed monster’ alright” Keith said sarcastically.  _ How did he make it through seventh grade again? _ , Keith asked himself as he stared at his blue eyed brother. Suddenly Lance gasped and ran away, leaving behind a confused Hunk and Keith. Hunk sighed and placed a hand on the coal haired boys shoulder. “I guess it’s just you and me buddy” Hunk said in a low voice. “Nope. Just you big guy” Keith said as he casually walked away and left Hunk by his lonesome. “Oh god, I’ve never been alone before. What do I do now?!” the raven haired teen asked himself in a panicked voice. Meanwhile, Lance ran as he tried to catch up to a familiar head of (h/c) hair. “(Y/n)! Wait up!” Lance exclaimed as he ran, and (y/n) turned her head around to look for the person that called her name. Her hair was a little damp because she couldn’t dry her hair fast enough. She had on a thicker sweeter than usual, mostly because it was just starting to get colder in the mornings. “Hi Lance, what's up?” she asked as she looked at Lance. He slowed down as he came closer and closer towards her. “Well I saw you walking by yourself and thought to myself, no one should be alone! And to thank you for your service at the dinner back then. You looked dazzling in your uniform” he said in a flirty voice as he leaned up against the wall. “Thank you, but you shouldn’t have to say thank you. It was my job” she told Lance. “Yeah, but you have to deal with kids, rude customers, even Galra students! I don’t think I’d have the patience for that. Plus you have to work on fridays, which is during the homecoming game  _ and _ the dance” Lance explained, a horror stricken expression on his face. He couldn’t imagine skipping a game or a dance, much less both. “Well, I don’t really have any reason to go anyways. I’d probably be bored at games, and have no date to homecoming” (y/n) said. Lance smiled as he got an idea. “What if I was your date! Then you’d have a reason to go to both!” he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. (Y/n) sighed, removing his hands from her shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “Lance, I do like you. But I like you like a gay friend whos straight. I can’t think of you any other way. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but I figured I’d better tell it to you straight than drag it out. And there are plenty of fish in the sea” (y/n) said, choosing her words carefully. She knew Lance could be sensitive at times, and she really didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Lance sighed. He couldn’t be mad at her just because she didn’t feel the same way. And she was right, there were plenty of fish in the sea. At least Lance could still be friends with her. “It’s ok, I understand. But if you ever feel like dating, thoroughly consider me as your first suitor” Lance told her, standing up straight and putting his fist on his heart. (Y/n) giggled at his silly behavior. Lance could make anyone laugh at the small things he did. “But you're coming to the game and dance though, right? If you don’t then I could lose, and you don’t want to be the reason we lose” Lance said. “Well, I ummm, I have work to do, I’ll have to check in with some of my bosses…” she said as she scratched the nape of her neck. Then she saw Lance’s puppy dog face. She sighed and smiled at him. “I promise I will be there if it doesn’t get me fired!” she exclaimed. “Yeah! Alright ma man! Girl! Woman! Friend, definitely friend- I’ll go before I cause you to change your mind” Lance said as he jogged away, leaving a laughing (y/n) behind.

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_ Why did I agree to come again? _ , (y/n) asked herself as she wrapped her school spirit hoodie around herself tighter. After school ended, she called up her bosses and checked to make sure it was okay to skip work for the night. They were more than ok with it on account of how well she worked. And when she told Mrs. Bailarín, she was immediately offered to give her a dress for homecoming, which was almost right after the game. They were only two hours apart. (Y/n) said she'd think about and the retired broadway actress blew up. She started to yell in spanish, and (y/n) agreed to let Mrs. Bailarín doll her up. Mrs.Bailarín calmed down and quickly got the teenage girl ready for the game. And now (y/n) was in the squished bleachers, cold, and a bit annoyed. Popcorn kept flying in her face because of the toddler in front of her. “Come on (y/n/n), smile a bit more. You're acting like you’ve never been to a game before” Pidge said, she, Shiro, Allura, Hunk, and Coran wearing their game make up and spirit wear. Only Keith wasn’t wearing spirit wear, but nobody ever expected him too. “No, I’ve been to some. It’s… been a while” the (h/c) haired girl told her best friend. Pidge nodded. “Come on Lance! Run!” Shiro yelled, standing up. Pidge and (y/n) stared at him in bewilderment. They never saw Shiro yell, especially for a football game. He was always so calm and collected, but apparently he could be crazy too. “Calm down Shiro” Allura scolded. “As teachers, we have to be a shining example for the younger- That was a foul! Keep your eyes open and you’ll see!” She yelled. Shiro smirked at his friend. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Shiro asked in a cocky tone. “We need to be a shining example for the younger generation” She said simply. Shiro rolled his eyes with a small smile. “So Keith! Why don’t you play football? I think you could really be a great player!” Coran asked Keith. “Because competition sports aren’t really my thing. I tried once, but the coach may have gotten a broken nose” Keith explained. “Why, did you try wrestling or boxing?” the ginger asked. “No, soccer. I pissed him off, which pissed me off, which caused his broken nose” Keith said. Coran eyes widened in surprise. He was told that the coal haired boy had anger issues but he didn’t think it was that bad. “And this was last year!” Coran asked. “No, I was ten and had to to clean up the school for the rest of the year as punishment” Keith told him. Coran, not knowing what else to say, went back to paying attention to the game. Hunk was next to Keith watching the game calmly and quietly. “Man, we’re killing it! Lance must be pretty confident tonight” he told Keith. “When  _ isn’t _ he confident?” Keith asked sarcastically, his arms folded across his chest. “Oh Lance doubts himself lots of times, like you I bet. He’s a lot like you, just in different ways. That’s why you fight a lot, you're too much alike” Hunk said. Keith focused on his words.  _ Too much alike…  _ , he thought, looked over at the shivering teen girl next to Pidge. He sighed and stood up, wanting to get out of the crowded bleachers. “Shiro, I’m gonna walk around. See you later” Keith said as he scooted past Shiro, gaining a nod from said man. As he finally got out of the bleachers, the coal haired boy took a deep breath of cool fresh air. He looked around. The small area where the concession building are were basically empty. Deciding that there was nothing here to do, Keith walked out of the football field and headed to the doors of the school where his quiet spot was. He looked back at the field, the bright white lights just as bright here as it was there. Keith looked around. Now that he was here, he didn’t really know what to do. He thought he would get an idea of what to do when he got there, but now he was just standing there. Deciding that there wasn’t much else he could do, Keith laid down on the frosty grass. But it didn’t bother him in anyway. He looked up at the stars, a cold wind biting at his face and fingers. The longer he stared, the more tired he felt. Why he was feeling so tired in the cold, he didn’t know how though. But he didn’t fight it as his eyes closed and he fell asleep. 

_ “Shiro, I’m cold” a ten year old coal haired boy said as they walked from the store back to their small apartment. “I know Keith. We’ll be home soon. Hold on to those bags” a younger Shiro with all black hair and a scar across his face said. The walking back seemed longer than it was was. Shiro lived in the part of the city that wasn’t the best, but still safe for his child. “Shiro, when you were a kid, were you allowed to carry knives in school?” Keith asked. Shiro choked on air as his eyes went wide. “NO! Why would you ask that?! Did you take your knife to school again? You know that you're not allowed to take it to school” Shiro scolded Keith. “Now that I learned my lesson, can you come to school and get it back?” Keith pleaded with a desperate look on his face. His coal hair blew in front of his pink face. “Fine. But I won’t next time” Shiro said. Just then, they heard a scream from a playground. Shiro grabbed Keith and they ran towards the sound. There they found two boys only a year younger than Keith. One had brown hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes. The other had pitch black hair with tan skin and dark brown eyes. “Lance, are you ok!” the one with black hair asked. “What’s wrong?” Shiro asked. “My friend fell out of the tree and he looks really hurt!” the raven haired boy said, tears brimming in his eyes. “I’m fine Hunk” the blue eyed kid scolded. “Where are your parents?” Shiro asked. They both went silent at the question and looked down. “Well?” Shiro asked again sternly. “W-we don’t really have any” the blue eyed kid whispered. Shiro looked down at Keith. Keith nodded his head and Shiro set the groceries next to the raven haired boy and kneeled in front of them. “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s ok. You boys aren’t alone anymore, you have me and Keith now” Shiro said as he picked Lance up and carried him all the way home. Lance cried softly as Shiro fixed the cuts on his body. After checking Hunk for injuries, they all fell asleep on the couch, hugging each other. Even Keith and Lance were hugging each other in their sleep. Shiro chuckled. They would be great brothers. _

Keith woke up freezing on the ground. He didn’t know why he was dreaming about that, but it was nice. He looked around. There was a red truck by the front entrance. He got up and walked over to see who it was. As he did, he heard familiar voice he knew he heard somewhere. “Come on guys, lets get this done fast. There's ten minutes left in the game. Those Altea Lions will pay for that first game earlier this month!” He said. “Shut up or else you’ll get us caught! We’re Galra on Lion territory. This could get us expelled boys” another one said. Keith now knew who he was dealing with. They were the Galra kids in the dinner. Keith heard the sound of a paint can being shook and he ran towards them. “Hey, what do you think you're doing?” he asked. They were definitely the ones from the dinner. The three boys turned their heads and looked at Keith. He was shorter than them, kinda scrawny looking too in their opinions. “None of your business. Now go back to the game kid” the first one said. “Why should I if your going to commit vandalism?” Keith asked as he walked closer, them doing the same. “Don’t make this get ugly man, we're senior’s and a good six inches taller than you” the second one told Keith. “Are you really? You look like you sixth graders to me” Keith said with venom in his voice. The Galra student looked at him with hatred and turned around breathing deeply. Then he threw a punch quick as lightning. Before it could hit him, Keith dodged it and stepped forward and landed a hit on his stomach. The Galra student fell to his knees and clutched his stomach. “I don't really like fighting. So please leave my school now” Keith told them. “Wait a minute? You're the one who beat up Sendak and his gang!” the third one said. “Well, he started it by picking a fight on my sister” Keith said as he walked closer to the two. “No can do. We came with a mission and that's what we're going to do it” the first one said, throwing a hit towards Keith’s face, but Keith stepped out of the way only to be pushed in the jaw with the guys other fist. Keith groaned as he elbowed the student in the back, right where the heart was. The senior turned around only to punched in the face and fell down unconscious. Keith turned towards the third one who put his hands in the air. “I-I-I just tag along with them, I swear” he stuttered. “I’ll help you put them in the truck. Come on” the coal haired teen said as he helped the third one put his friends in the seat. “Come here again and I won’t go easy on you. Go home and have a nice night” Keith said coldly as he took the spray cans and walked back to the field. Shiro was going to be so quiznaking ticked off at him.


	12. Chapter 12

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Shiro looked through the crowd of people looking for Keith. After the game had ended, he looked around for the coal haired boy only to find out he was nowhere to be found, so he sent out little search groups. Lance and Hunk, (y/n) and Pidge, and lastly, Shiro, Allura, and Coran. He told everyone to text him if they found him. “Shiro! For the love of god,  _ calm down _ ” Allura told him as she looked at his face. It looked like he was going mentally insane, losing his mind. “Where did he go! He said that he’d see me later! This is longer than later” Shiro said to himself. He looked around, searching for a familiar head of coal colored hair. After a couple minutes of more asking random parents if they’d seen his child, Shiro saw Keith standing outside the boys bathroom. Shiro ran to him, leaving Allura and Coran behind. “Keith! My god, you scared me! Where were you! What were you doing! Is that a bruise? You're so cold!” Shiro asked Keith as he pulled him in for a bone crushing motherly hug. “S-Shiro… I can’t breath…” Keith weakly said. Shiro let go of him, holding him at arm's length. “Sorry. Where were you? Tell me everything. No lying” Shiro added quickly. The coal haired teen sighed at Shiro’s mother like actions. Keith then proceeded to tell Shiro about how he went to his quiet spot and fell asleep, and found three Galra students trying to vandalize the school. “I’m not in trouble am I?” he asked, scratching the nape of his neck. “Yes and no. You went off of the field property, but you saved the school from vandalism. But you beat the crap out of another school's seniors to do that. But it was self-defense since they attacked first. You’ll be doing some extra chores, that seems reasonable” Shiro told Keith, who nodded his head. Shiro hugged him again, only more gently this time. Keith sure gave him a scare, but he was ok, and that was all that mattered.

“Come on, I’ll text the others and we can go home and get ready for homecoming”

“I’m not going”

“Yes you are”

“No, I’m not. Can’t make me”

“It’s part of your punishment, and yes I can”

“Gaaahhh! I’m not going to some stupid dance Shiro!”

“You will and that’s final young man!”

“I hate you!”

“Love you too Keith”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I don’t know Josie. What if I get called into the stage for some reason? You know I can’t handle being on stage. What if it turns out to be a disaster! What if I-”. “What if an asteroid comes crashing down and kills the whole world or purple aliens with cat ears come to earth and enslave us all!” Mrs. Bailarín asked sarcastically, tightening the dress on the (h/c) haired teens body. (Y/n) laughed a little and calmed down, anxiety leaving her and being replaced with a smaller version of worry. “I guess you're right, I have no real reason to be nervous. This isn't my first dance” she said. “Really? What was your first?” Mrs. Bailarín asked. (Y/n) never talked about her old life a lot, just enough for her neighbor to know a timeline. “At my old school, my first actual dance was The Haunted Halloween Dance. I was a fairy, a really good looking fairy. The best one, may I add” (y/n) told her, joking around a little bit. She had a smug look on her face that made the retired broadway actress smile. “Well, now you’ll be the most beautiful women at The Homecoming Dance. Mira” Mrs. Bailarín said, telling her to look while pointing at the mirror. (Y/n) gasped at the sight. The dress she was in was a (d/l) (d/c) dress, that sparkled when she twirled. Her (h/c) was all done up nice, a faint smell of hairspray lingering on her.  _ This can’t be me. I can’t possibly look this pretty. Can I? _ , she asked herself as she stared at her reflection. Mrs. Bailarín smiled at her. She hadn’t seen that look of awe on (y/n)’s face in a long time, too long in her opinion. “I know, you think you look like a different person huh? Don’t worry. It’s still you, and that’s the best thing. I wore that to the party after my first broadway musical, and everything else I have fits you like a very beautiful glove” she told (y/n), who gave her a big hug as a thank you. Mrs. Bailarín hugged her back tightly and broke away, pulling the teen along with her. “Venga! Off to the automobile!” she said, causing (y/n) to roll her eyes. As the drove to the school, Mrs. Bailarín told her that if she wanted to be picked up, to head to the dinner and call her from there. “Ok, the dinner. Got it. Well, this is my stop” (y/n) said as she was pulled into a hug by the retired broadway actress. She hugged back with a small smile on her face. “(Y/n/n), te amo. Te amo to the moon and back. If anyone gives you lip or a hard time, show them that you are strong. Go, have fun” she said as she pushed (y/n) out of the car so she wouldn’t see the small tear of happiness she shed.  _ They grow up so fast _ , she thought as she drove away. (Y/n) walked into the gym, looking for her friends. It was pretty dark, the only source of light being the different colored spotlights and the occasional flash of a camera. There was a small stage where a DJ was doing his job. She looked around the gym, trying to find someone she knew. “Hello (y/n)! Are you enjoying yourself?” a voice said behind her. Allura placed a hand on her shoulder, causing (y/n) to turn around. “Yeah, I just got here. Have you seen Pidge anywhere?” she replied. “Yes, but you’ll be surprised. Come on” Allura said as she motioned for (y/n) to follow. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m actually a personal friend of the whole family” Allura told her. “Really?” (y/n) asked, Allura nodding her head in response. “They’ve lived in Altea for a while and I’ve been with them every step of the way. But I wanted to know more about you since Pidge keeps talking about. And I’m not that surprised that Keith doesn’t get along with you, your personalities are a bit different” Allura told her. “I fact, I wanted to ask you about the time you had to come to my office because you and Keith got in a ‘paint battle’” Allura asked with a goofy grin on her face. “Hahaha… umm, he brings out the worst in me? I don’t know. Some people just don’t get along” (y/n) said. “I see, and I can’t argue. That’s why we’re enemies with the town of Daibazaal. Well, they're over there” Allura said, pointing towards Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and Keith. (Y/n) wasn’t that happy to see Keith. “Thanks Allura. Have fun!” (y/n) said as she made a B line to the group. “Good luck (y/n)!” Allura exclaimed. (Y/n) put on a confused look. Good luck with what? Did Allura know something that she didn’t? If she did, what was it? “What's up (y/n)!” Lance said. The whole group was dressed up. The boys were in white dress shirts and black dress pants and shoes with different colored ties. Lance had blue, Hunk yellow, and Keith red red. And Pidge was in a neon green dress that went to her knees and lit up everytime a light flashed on her. She had on nicer glasses and a white bow in her hair. But she had on a scowl on her face, like she could pounce on anyone at any moment. “Pidge! Wow, you look-”. “Hideous. I know, but I wanted to wear a suit and tie. ‘Nope!’ Shiro said, you're going to wear a dress tonight” Pidge ranted. Lance backed away from her, almost afraid she’ll lash out. “Just give her more time to cool down” Lance told (y/n). “I was going to say that you look really nice, that's all. So how are you guys?” (y/n) asked. “It’s horrible and it sucks. I’d rather be at home than in a hot crowded gym” Keith snapped, glaring at her. Anger flared up in (y/n)’s chest. Lance rolled his eyes at his older brother. “Don’t listen to him. He’s an emo antisocial weirdo. Meanwhile, I’m a fun and  _ social _ weirdo!” Lance told her before he gasped. He’d know this song anywhere... “It’s The Cupid Shuffle! Come on Hunk! We’re gonna bust a move” Lance said as he grabbed the raven haired teens hand and dragged him to the middle of the gym. “Yeah right, more like bust a hip while dancing. Because that’s basically dancing with you” Hunk mumbled to himself. Pidge looked at her brothers dancing. Well, Lance was dancing. Hunk was smiling while watching Lance dance. Lance was the only real dance lover in the family. And he was so good at it too. Pidge looked at her friend, just now noticing her appearance. “Wow (y/n)! Where did you get the dress?!” Pidge asked in awe. “Well, I got it from Mrs. Bailarín. She used to be a broadway actress” (y/n) explained. The rest of the night (y/n) told Pidge about all the musicals her next door neighbor had starred in. She even told her about how Mrs. Bailarín made her learn to ballroom dance with ease. “Then why don’t you dance right now? I bet you could even show up Lance. That would be great to see! I can already see his face…” Pidge said, almost laughing at Lance’s imagined face. “Noooo, I can’t do that. I can’t handle being in the spotlight. I tried once and it didn’t end great. I may or may not have gotten sick in the girls bathroom and cried. And that was just during our rehearsals” she explained.

“But I’ve seen you talk during class”

“That’s different. It’s not acting or performing, and I’m not judged if I mess up”

“Not much anyway…”

“Pidge! Not helping!”

“Geez, lighten up”

Their attention was pulled away from each other when they heard the testing of a microphone. Allura stood on the small stage, holding an envelope in her other hand. “Hello everyone! Are you having fun?” she said, getting a loud and enthusiastic response. “Good! Now let's get to the point. As you all know, there's always a king and queen for homecoming, and we’re going to see this year's homecoming royalty!” Allura told them, a louder applause coming from the crowd. Allura smiled at them, happy that this night was going great so far. She was a bit worried that something would come up, like a prank or some kids being plain stupid. But not tonight. It was all going great. Meanwhile, Nyma was in the middle of the crowd, holding back her giant sized grin to a small excited one. Her plan was all fitting together perfectly. “And the Homecoming King is… Samuel Halls!” Allura exclaimed with a smile as The spotlight searched and found the said person. A tall boy with copper skin and black hair came on stage with a big smile on his face. Allura took a kings crown from a light blue pillow that the DJ held for her. “Thank you sir...” she said to the DJ before she placed the crown on Samuel's head. “And now for the queen…” Allura said. Everyone seemed to be waiting in anticipation, just waiting for the stupid answer already.  _ Why does she have to be so damn dramatic! Just get on with it already _ , Nyma thought as she stared at her white haired principal with a petty pleading look, wanting to see if her hard work paid off or not. Allura loved the looks on her students faces. She knew that she shouldn’t, but she did. She only got to do stuff like this twice a year. Homecoming, and Prom. But she had to answer at some point. “(Y/n) (l/n)!” Allura said as the spotlight instantly found the (h/c) haired teen. Nyma bit back a laugh. Her victim looked like a deer caught in headlights, frozen in her place. She watched (y/n) as she tried to get out of the spotlight, but it followed her no matter what. (Y/n) could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest, the sweat from the burning light, and tears welling up in her (e/c) eyes. And then the memories flooded in her mind. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she ran for the nearest exit out of the school, leaving everyone confused. Allura freaked out, knowing something was wrong. “Wait! (Y/n)! Do a recount with the runner-up, I have to go!” Allura exclaimed as she jumped off the stage and followed (y/n). (Y/n) remembered that she had to go to the dinner and call Mrs. Bailarín from there. (Y/n) could hear someone calling her name in the distance, but she was deaf to their cries. Allura ran, and she didn’t stop running. She had to make sure (y/n) was ok. After running for longer than either of them wanted to, (y/n) finally found the dinner and ran inside the building in tears. It was empty except for two or three workers. Jessie came over and hugged her, not quite sure what was going on. “(Y/n)! (Y/n), what happened?” she asked. “I-I-I just had a bad night is all!” (y/n) sobbed. “Well sit here, and calm down. I’ll go get you a shake.  _ Breath _ ” Jessie told her while running to the kitchen. (Y/n) did as she was told and breathed deeply. She calmed down pretty quick and rubbed off her make-up. Allura came bursting into the dinner, feeling like she ran a marathon. And it was possible she had. “(Y/n)! What happened! Are you alright?!” she asked, sitting in the booth seat across from the teen. “Here’s your shake honey. Who’s this?” Jessie asked. “I’m her principal, and I got worried when she just ran off” Allura explained. “I see… You cheer her up ok? It’s cotton candy by the way” Jessie told (y/n). Allura sighed and calmed down, while (y/n) downed her milkshake. “Now, tell me what was wrong” Allura said. “I have stage fright. Nothing more, nothing less. The attention freaked me out, and I couldn’t take the spotlight. Literally” (y/n) explained, looking down at the table. “I see. Then why did you sign up?” Allura asked considerably. “I didn’t sign up” (y/n) said with wide eyes. “But your name was on the poster. Are you sure?” Allura asked. “Yes. I’m sure. I just want to go home” (y/n) said, sighing, then sinking into her seat, feeling like she wanted to cry again. Allura’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Tell me something. What was so bad about it?”

“The attention”

“Were they laughing at you?”

“No…”

“Were they criticizing you? Making you feel bad?”

“No”

“Then what was so bad about it!” Allura laughed. (Y/n) smiled and laughed a tiny bit. “Nothing now that I think about it” she said sitting up. Nothing bad, she was ok. But she didn’t care who got that crown. She didn’t want it. Maybe next year though.


	13. Chapter 13

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) walked through the office, ignoring the glare of Haggar as she walked by. She was used to it though, seeing as she walked through the office doors almost every day of the week to enter the school. It's been almost a month since the Homecoming Dance, and life was getting by. Mrs. Bailarín was furious that she won the title as Homecoming Queen and she didn't go back for the crown but was glad that (y/n) was emotionally ok after freaking out like she did. Then on Monday, she found out Nyma won as a runner-up. She didn't care but was able to put two and two together with Pidge. It got worse in english class when Keith said that she was just being dramatic and hormonal. Long story short, it didn't go well. They both got detention cleaning the bathrooms. And now exams were coming up, and her late night working schedule wasn't exactly in harmony with her loads of homework and study guides. She managed to get it all done, but in the early hours of the morning. As (y/n) walked through the hallway she saw Pidge sitting on the floor doing something on her laptop, her brothers arguing about something next to her. (Y/n) quietly sat next to the hazel eyed girl, seeing this as a chance to scare her friend while she was absorbed in whatever she was doing on her laptop. "Boo!" (y/n) shouted as she grabbed Pidge's shoulder. "(Y/n), if you're going to scare someone, saying 'boo!' isn't the way to go" Pidge told her friend, giving her a look. 

"You scared me with saying boo!"

"No, I didn't"

"Yes, you have!"

"When have I ever scared you by saying  _ boo _ ?"

"In gym class"

"No, I said ‘Hey (y/n)!’. Not boo, I don't say boo"

"But you just did"

Pidge glared at her best friend while she smiled innocently. "Anyways, what are you doing on your computer?" (y/n) asked. "I'm trying to do an online assignment that's due tomorrow. Man, the homework they're giving us sucks. It's too much in too little time!" Pidge told her. (Y/n) nodded her head in agreement. The (h/c) haired teen looked over at Hunk, Lance, and Keith. "Hey, what are they fighting about?" (y/n) asked. Pidge looked up from her laptop and glanced at her brothers. Pidge groaned at them, just so done with life in general. "They're fighting about the exams. I think the problem is where they want to study at, and whether Shiro should help us or not" Pidge said while holding her chin in her hand, thinking about it. She never really paid attention to her brother's fights, more like observed them. "Why wouldn't you want Shiro to help you guys study?" (y/n) asked. If she could get a ton of help from a teacher at home she would jump at the opportunity. "You don't know what it's like when Shiro helps with homework. First, he'll baby you. Then he'll go really hard on you. Sometimes it goes back and forth" Pidge explained to (y/n). She nodded her head understanding Pidge's words. Pidge went back to work on her online assignment while (y/n) seemed to be in deep thought. "Hey Pidge, what if you came over to my apartment? You'd be able to get away from Shiro, and be able to study in peace!" (y/n) exclaimed, shaking Pidge's shoulder. "Hmmmmmmmm… That would work. So how about tonight at four?" Pidge asked, the bell ringing in the background. As students rushed to class, Pidge saved what she was working on and closed her laptop. (Y/n) helped her friend pack her backpack up, and pulled Pidge to her feet. "That would work out just fine" (y/n) said as they walked to science, Keith, Lance, and Hunk still arguing behind them. 

"I didn't say that!"

"Yes you did, me and Hunk heard you!" 

"I agree with Lance"

"Fine! Have it your way! Move it" Keith said as he pushed (y/n) out of his way and walked down the hallway in a fit of anger. (Y/n) glared daggers at the back of Keith's head. "Pidge, I hate your brother" she stated. Pidge rolled her eyes. She had heard that sentence countless time before. "Get in the back of the line sister" Pidge told (y/n), patting her on the back. Throughout the whole day, (y/n) kept checking the clock. She knew that it would make the day seem longer, but she couldn't help it. She never had a friend over and her apartment was a bit of a mess, so she'd have to get everything ready for her friend. The dishes needed washing, there was laundry, the trash needed to be taken out, and she couldn't forget the bathroom.  _ I really need to think about cleaning more _ , she thought as she worked on a history paper with Hunk. The day was going along painfully slow. When the last bell that meant school was over, (y/n) never ran so fast in her life. As soon as she got to her building, she knocked rapidly on Mrs. Bailarín door. "What is it child! Is there a fire?!" the retired broadway actress exclaimed, and irritated look on her face. "Mrs. Bailarín! I have a friend coming over and my place is a mess! Help me clean?" (y/n) pleaded. Mrs. Bailarín sighed dramatically. "You are lucky I clean when I'm angry. Venga" Mrs. Bailarín said as she opened (y/n)'s door with her spare key that the teen gave to her. As she stepped into the teen's apartment, she looked around the messy area. "I have seen worst, but I have seen better. You get the hallway, bathroom, and your room. I'll get the kitchen and living room. Go" Mrs. Bailarín demanded. (Y/n) immediately went to work, not even bothering to check the time. The bathroom wasn't that bad, it was easy enough. But her bedroom was where all her laundry was. So once she sorted the colors, she moved them to the guest room, which was at the end of the hallway. The door was the same color as the wall so it could be hard to see, but the doorknob marked its spot. She put all the laundry in there for the time being and looked down the hallway. It didn't even need cleaning as it turned out. "Alright, I'm done with the- Wow! This looks great!" (y/n) said when she saw the clean kitchen and living room. "I know. It looks marvelous" Mrs. Bailarín said. "Well, anywho. I'll leave you alone for your friends, but check up on you in an hour. Adiós" she said, leaving (y/n) alone. Meanwhile, Keith was parking the car in front of the building. "Is this it Pidge?" he asked. "Yup. The address says so" she said while getting out of the car. Keith had borrowed Shiro's car so they could get here. He didn't like the idea of going to the living space of the person he hates, but it was better than Shiro helping them with homework. As they walked through the building, Keith saw Lance look around as if it was some secret lab. "Lance, it's a building, not area fifty-one," he said, getting a glare from the blue eyed teen. "Well, I've never been in this kind of building before!" Lance exclaimed. "Lance! There are people living here, we have to be quiet" Hunk told him. "All of you, shush. We're here" Pidge told them before she knocked on a door. It opened to reveal (y/n) with a bright smile on her face. "Hey Pi- Oh, you brought people with you…" she said surprised. Pidge facepalmed her forehead. "I'm sorry, I meant all of us would be coming and I assumed that you got what I said. We can go if you want" Pidge told her, hoping that they didn't have to. (Y/n) shook her head, opening her door more so they could walk through. "It's alright. You all came here to study and that's what we're going to do. I'd feel guilty if I sent you back home" (y/n) said, she and Keith glaring at each other as he walked by. (Y/n) closed the door and walked over to the couch. Keith looked around, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be for someone whose parents were barely home. He expected the walls to be painted a weird color, or something like that. As he looked around, Keith noticed that there weren't any pictures. He couldn't help but find it odd. He didn't know why, but he did. He just felt like there should be at least some picture. "Why aren't there any pictures?" he asked, but it must have sounded like he was mad because she didn't look happy when he said it. "There's nothing to hang up" she told him. "So, what do you guys want to start on first?" (y/n) asked them. "I  _ really _ need help in math, and english!" Lance said raising his hand. "Shiro says I need help memorizing in science" Hunk told them. "Ok, I can help in english" (y/n) said. Pidge stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Hunk, you work with me and Keith. Lance, you work with (y/n). (Y/n), I wish you luck. You'll need it" Pidge said as she grabbed Hunk and Keith and pulled them to the kitchen. Lance pulled out his math notes from his backpack. "Alright! Let's get started" (y/n) said as she wrote down some questions for Lance to solve.


	14. Chapter 14

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“No Lance, that’s not right” (y/n) told the blue eyed boy, who looked dramatically heartbroken next to her on the couch. “What?! What do you mean it's not right? I divided that three perfectly!” Lance exclaimed, pointing at the answer with his pencil. (Y/n) sighed and brushed away her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. “That’s the point, Lance, you were supposed to multiply the three, not divide it. Then you plug it into the equation and subtract it by four. And that will give you the answer for  _ k _ ” (y/n) explained to Lance. The said blue eyed teen had a confusing look on his face, not understanding what his friend had just told him. _ It’s like she's speaking Chinese or gibberish, or something! _ , he thought. “Umm, (y/n)... I didn’t understand a single word you just said” Lance said as he watched the (h/c) haired girl groan in frustration and facepalm her forehead. “I don’t get it! I explained it in every way I know how! How else can I explain, and get it to stay in your head?!” (y/n) exclaimed. Meanwhile, Pidge and Keith were having an easier time helping Hunk. The raven haired was good to go on math, and he was memorizing science terms pretty great. “Aaaaaaand, that’s it! You did it! I can’t say the same for Lance though” Pidge said as she pushed her glasses up and started to pack her bag up. At her words, Hunk and Keith looked towards (y/n) and Lance. Keith couldn’t help but smile at the defeated look on (y/n)’s face, and the sassy expression from Lance. He may have known that it would happen ahead of time, but it was still hilarious to see with his own eyes. Realizing that they still had time to kill, Keith, Hunk, and Pidge just talked about whatever they could. It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes later that their small conversation was cut short. Everyone's attention was turned to the door when a loud knock echoed through the apartment. Keith saw the (e/c) eyed teens eyes light up as she ran to the door, reminding him of a puppy when their owner comes home from work. (Y/n) opened the door to see Mrs. Bailarín standing in the doorway. The retired broadway actress hugged her teen neighbor and waltz right into her apartment, like she owned that place. “Hola! I’m Mrs. Bailarín, but I bet you know all about me from (y/n/n)” she said. Everyone’s eyes widened at her statement. The four siblings looked at (y/n), their stares telling her that they wanted answers. But her sight was focused on Mrs. Bailarín. “Uhh, Josie, they don’t know who you are. Pidge does, but only a little bit” (y/n) explained in a haste as she closed her apartment door. She looked at her friends and Keith to see their extremely confused faces, and she didn't blame them. Her crazy neighbor had just waltz in unannounced and expected them to know who she is! If anything, she’d look more confused than them. Mrs. Bailarín turned around to look at (y/n) with a embarrassed look in her eyes. “Oh, well now I just feel silly!” Mrs. Bailarín said as she sat down on the couch. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at Mrs. Bailarín, finding her neighbor's behavior amusing. (Y/n) knew what she wanted, she wanted (y/n) to introduce her to her friends. And then she wanted to brag about her glory days in the theater. (Y/n) would normally tell her to get going, but she didn’t have the heart to push her away today. The (h/c) haired girl straightened up and sat down next to Mrs. Bailarín on the couch. “Everybody, this is Mrs. Bailarín. She’s basically my grandmother. Mrs. Bailarín, that’s Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Keith” (y/n) told her, pointing at each person as she said their name. Mrs. Bailarín smiled and nodded her head, glancing at each person. “Nice to meet you all! (Y/n/n) tells me about you all a lot. How you are fun to be around” she said, causing Pidge, Hunk, and Lance to smile. But Keith rolled his eyes.  _ I guess she must not talk about me that much if her neighbor thinks I’m fun _ , the coal haired teen thought. “She basically came here to meet you guys. She had been wanting to for a while” (y/n) explained to them, smiling. “True. That... and I forgot my medicine in your cupboard” the retired broadway actress said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. Pidge watched her as she got a glass of water and, what she assumed were, some pills. After she had taken her medication, Pidge decided to ask a question. “(Y/n) told me you’ve been in a lot of musicals. But how many?” she asked. Mrs. Bailarín thought about it for a second. It’s been a while since she had to count all of the musicals she’d starred in. “If I had to guess, I’d say about sixteen” she answered. “No! You said eighteen last time!” (y/n) exclaimed, a determined look in her eyes.

“No, it’s sixteen”

“Eighteen”

“I think  _ I _ would know how many musicals I have been in child!” 

“I know, but you always forget  _ Phantom of The Opera _ , and  _ Grease _ !”

“Oh, then yes. It is eighteen”

(Y/n) grinned in victory. “Now, I was told that Lance was a great dancer. Do all of you dance?” Mrs. Bailarín asked, setting her now empty glass of water down on the counter. “No, our family doesn’t like to dance much really. Lance is the oddball” Keith replied, knowing that Lance was glaring at him, but he didn’t care one bit. The retired broadway actress stared at Keith for a few seconds with a bewildered look before she shook her head and laughed a little. “Lo siento. I thought you said that your family doesn’t like dancing!” she told him, still laughing a little. Keith raised an eyebrow, looking at Hunk. Hunk shrugged his shoulders, and Keith looked back at Mrs. Bailarín. “That’s what I said…” Keith told her slowly. The retired broadway actress stopped laughing, and a serious expression took over her face. “Oh no” (y/n) mumbled. Lance’s eyes widened. “Oh no? Oh no, what? What’s going to happen?!” he asked in a panicked tone of voice. (Y/n) closed her eyes, already knowing what her crazy neighbor was going to do. (Y/n) had never loathed her neighbor before, but she did at that moment. “3, 2, 1…” (y/n) counted down, scaring Lance even more. “Everyone, clear then living room floor and I’ll go get my equipment!” Mrs. Bailarín ordered as she rushed out of the room and out of the apartment. (Y/n) remorsefully got up and began to push furniture up against the wall. Hunk’s eyes widened as he watched as she pushed the couch with Lance still on it without breaking a sweat. “Ummm, what are you doing?” the raven haired teen asked, raising an eyebrow. (Y/n) sighed and glared at Keith. “You know, I really hate you right now! You had to tell her that you don’t like dancing!” she exclaimed. Keith glared right back at her. “What do you mean by that?! I was just being honest! What the hell are you so mad about!” Keith yelled. “Gaah! You'll see soon enough!” (y/n) replied. Then, Mrs. Bailarín burst into the room with a CD player and a wooden stick that came up to her waist. Keith watched her as she set up the CD player on the counter. Hunk watched her with nervous eyes. He may not have known this strange lady for long, but he could tell this wasn’t going to be fun. “Yeah, I have a question! What are we doing, exactly?” he asked Mrs. Bailarín. The said women looked at him with excited eyes. “Well, I’m going to teach you how to dance a little. (Y/n) knows everything I know, but she’ll still be paired with a partner” Mrs. Bailarín said, gesturing to the (h/c) haired girl. At her words, Keith quickly stood up, grabbed his backpack, and walked towards the door. “Ok, well I’m not much of a dancer. I’m just going to wait in the car and-”. “No, I think you should stay here  _ Keith _ , it’ll be fun” Lance said with a cocky smile. Keith growled at his brother, narrowing his eyes at him.  _ God Lance, you son of a gun! _ , the coal haired boy thought. Lance walked over with that same smile and pulled him to the group. Lance took off Keith’s jacket and placed it on the couch, right next to his own. “Ohhhh, you're enjoying this aren’t you?” Keith growled at his brother. “Why yes. Yes, I am!” Lance said. Mrs. Bailarín lined them all in a line in front of her. “Lance, you get to be a teacher today! Pidge, you get to be paired with Hunk. Keith, you go with (y/n)” the retired broadway actress said. Keith’s eyes widened at her words. “What! No way, I’m not going to be paired with that brat!” Keith said. No sooner had he said those words, he felt a slight sharp pain in the back of his head. “You have no right to call her that!” Mrs. Bailarín said, her wooden stick in her hand. She walked away, muttering to her self. The said boy glared at the back of her head as she walked away. “Well you two, let's get started!” Lance said as the quiet music from the CD player filled the room. (Y/n) walked over to them and stood in front Keith. “Ok, Keith, place this hand on her waist, and the other in hers, like that!” Lance said, a smirk on his face. Keith looked down at the (h/c) haired girl in his arms, and she didn’t look happy, she looked mad. Her one hand was on between his shoulder and his neck, and her other was in his rebel gloved hand. His hand, the one that wasn’t hold her hand, was on the small of her back, holding her to him. He could tell she hated this, and the feelings were mutual. Keith prayed that this would end soon, or else someone was going to get hurt, or worst. “You two need to get closer” Lance said. The two teens stepped closer. “Closer…” Lance said again. The two teens glared at him, but did what they were told. “Perfect. Now, Keith, your going to step like this,” Lance said as he stood next to Keith and demonstrated the steps. “Then move to the right like this. Aaaand, go” Lance told him. Keith straightened up and did what Lance told him to do, and he and his partner moved across the living room floors swiftly. “Ok, now just do them in order repeatedly” Lance said. Keith groaned, but listened to his brother. “I can’t believe I got partnered with you” he whispered. “You think I’m happy? I’m pissed” (y/n) whispered back. “Oh really, I thought you looked so excited!” he whispered sarcastically. (Y/n) stepped on his toes, hard. “Ow!” Keith exclaimed. He looked down and moved his foot forward, trying to stomp (y/n)’s. She saw it coming and moved her foot back, avoiding his attack. The two teens glared at each other they continued to dance, stomping on each others toes every once in a while. Lance was watching them with a smirk.  _ Look at them I have to tease them just a little bit… _ , he thought. “Well aren’t you two in love! Where’s my phone?” he said just loud enough so only (y/n) and Keith could hear. He laughed at the angry blushes they had on their faces. Keith glared at him. “I swear Lance-”. “You two need to get closer” Lance said. Keith groaned as he and (y/n) stepped closer together. Lance look at his older brother and his friend. They had hateful looks in their eyes, their faces a couple inches away from each other. Thanks to him, their bodies were almost touching, but they were trying to push away from each other. They were both squeezing each others hands, trying to get the other to let go. Lance looked away when he heard his phone ringing. He ran over to his jacket and pulled his phone out. It was Shiro. Lance answered it and put it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey Lance, when are you guys coming home?”

“Oh, well (y/n)’s crazy neighbor stopped by and made them all take a dancing lesson”

“Lance!”

"Well, she is!”

“Lance, just come home. Bye”

Lance hung up and put his coat on. He turned and saw Keith look at him. “Shiro wants us at home guys!” Lance called out. “Thank god” Keith sighed with relief. He tore apart from his partner and ran to put on his coat. “It was really swell staying here, but I have to go. I’ll meet you all in the car!” Keith said as he opened the door went through it, closing I behind him. Hunk packed up all his stuff, Pidge following pursuit. As Pidge swung her backpack over her shoulder, she turned to (y/n) with a smile on her face. “It was fun hanging out here. Even when your ‘crazy neighbor’ came over to bug us! Well, see you at school” the hazel eyed girl told her, waving goodbye as she closed the door behind her. Pidge ran down the hallway to catch up with her older brothers. Lance was making Keith mad… again. Lance seemed to take pleasure in pissing off Keith. Then again, they were brothers. Even Pidge did that every once in a while, making people mad was just really fun. Lance was walking next to Keith, who had a dark aura around him.

“Awwww, you two looked so cute together!”

“Lance,”

“And the way you held her close, I thought for a second that you were happy I told you guys to get closer”

“Lance,”

“Shiro is going to want to hear about this”

“Lance! Just shut up and get into the car!”

Lance scoffed as he opened the car door and climbed in, Pidge and Hunk getting in the back with him, and Keith got in the driver's seat. “Please, your just mad because you know I’m right!” Lance said, crossing his arms over his chest and sitting down in his seat. Keith tried to hold in a laugh, but it proved to be easier said than done as he laughed unrelentlessly. Hunk looked at him with a confused face. “What happened to him?” the raven haired teen asked. Lance shrugged his shoulders, raising an eyebrow. Keith rested his head against the wheel, recovering his breath. After he started the car, he turned towards the blue eyed teen with his amused grayish purple eyes, and a small smile on his face. “That was funny Lance. But I will  _ never  _ have a _ crush _ on that hellion. I would rather die” the coal hair teen stated as he pulled into the road and drove home.


	15. Chapter 15

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"S-slow down Lance!" Shiro said, holding the said teen by his shoulders at the table. Everyone else was doing their chore, while Lance had finished early. The scared man had called back his kids back just to have them do their chores, and because it was almost time for dinner. Hunk was just about done preparing the chicken and mashed potatoes, and he couldn’t help but laugh at Lance’s teasing words. "I think Keith's in llllooove! He held (y/n) so close!" Lance fakely gushed, he had his hands on his cheeks and a stupid grin on his face. Keith looked at him, not at all happy. He was really considering whether or not he should aim a bowl at his head. "Shut up Lance! The only reason I did that was because you made me!" Keith snapped, nearly breaking a glass cup. "I know that Keith. And I take pride in that" Lance said. He lowered his hands and folded them across his chest. Shiro looked at the two teens. One was smiling, knowing that he had gotten away from a rather deadly situation, the other looked like he was about to cause a deadly situation. Shiro sighed, slouching in his seat. "Not that I'm taking sides but why didn't you take a video, Lance?! I bet it would have been hilarious to see!" Shiro said, his calm face changing into a happy one. Keith's eyes widened. His father had betrayed him for once and had sided with that blue eyed devil brother of his. Keith quickly finished his chores and ate dinner with his family, but didn’t want to sit by anyone. Shiro was listening to Lance, who was retelling the story of the time at (y/n)'s apartment. He made sure to make Mrs. Bailarín seem crazy, even a bit more in Keith’s opinion. Shiro nodded his head as he put his plate in the sink. "Well, sounds like you four had fun" Shiro said. Pidge slammed her cup on the table, spilling her drink a little bit. " _ Fun _ ?! Did you not hear how Hunk and I were screamed at for the tiniest mistake?! And Hunk is not the smoothest dancer. Sorry bud" Pidge apologize. "Oh no, it's fine! I'm horrible and I know it" Hunk said before eating the last of his chicken. Keith sighed and stood up, walking over to the sink to place his plate in. Then he walked out of the kitchen, not looking at anyone while he did. Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Keith? Where are you going?" Shiro asked. Keith never went anywhere without letting them know where he was, even if he just was heading to his room. So the fact that he didn't tell them was kinda strange. "Don't worry! I'm heading out to my garage!" Keith called from the door before everyone heard it slam. Lance turned to Shiro with a confused face. "Don't you ever think that he sneaks out?" he asked. Shiro thought about it. No, he didn't. He knew Keith, and he would never sneak out. Not for a petty reason, at least. A life would have to be on the line for him to sneak out. "No, I don't Lance, I trust Keith wholeheartedly. You on the other hand…" Shiro said in a teasing tone of voice. Lance looked at Shiro with a hurt look. It was dramatic, of course, but still looked hurt all the same. "What?! I'm trustworthy! I took care of a class pet for a week! I'm  _ golden _ " Lance exclaimed. "Oh yeah? Who was it that forgot said class pet and let it die? Yeah, that guy is  _ golden _ " Pidge said with a smirk on her face, leaning back in her chair. She knew she had won, the look on Lance’s face said it all. She held out her hand by Hunk, and he immediately high fived her. "Nice one" he said. "Why thank you" the hazel eyed girl said smoothly. Shiro laughed quietly behind them. He loved watching them, it was always so hilarious. He couldn't get the image of his rebellious, hot-headed, and stubborn Keith, dancing with a kind, happy, and patient (y/n). He had to admit, it was hard to see them dancing while getting along at the same time. But it was cute when he imagined it. For a fleeting second, he may or may not have had hoped that it could be real. But it disappeared the coal haired boy came in with guilty look on his face. “I popped a tire…” he said so quiet, he might as well had whispered. Lance raised an eyebrow while propping his elbow on his chair, and looked at Shiro. “Trustworthy, huh?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hunk walked to school, ahead of the group for once. He was getting sick and tired of being the middleman between Keith and Lance. Now it was Pidge's turn to deal with them. He didn't care if she would be mad at him later for it, he just couldn't take it anymore. He carried his instrument to the band room, walking past the many students as he walked down the hall. As he walked into the band room, he looked around for any of his band friends. There were none at the moment, since he was usually early to drop off his instrument. After he put it on the shelf, he walked out of the room and walked to go find Keith, Pidge, and Lance. He was looking around the hallway until he heard a familiar nervous voice. "H-hey, come on guys! Let's not fight right now, or at least not while I'm literally in the middle of it!" it pleaded. The raven haired boy turned around to see Keith and Lance glaring at each other with Pidge in the middle of them, keeping them apart at her arms length. Hunk jogged over and picked Pidge up by her shoulders, moving her out of the way. "Pidge, I know you think that there's always a solution to a problem, but you can't stop this. You just keep them both alive, and wait it out" Hunk explained. Pidge sighed and looked at her brothers. They were always fighting, and Hunk always said it was because they were too similar. And he was right. She wished that they could stop, but she knew they couldn't. "Well, I'm going to find (y/n). See you guys in science" Pidge said, walking away from Hunk. She wandered around the hallways, looking for the familiar head of (h/c) hair. Suddenly, she was knocked over and crashed to the ground. "Hey! What's the-". "I'm so sorry Pidge! Are you ok?" (y/n) asked worriedly, holding out her hand. Pidge softly smiled at her. "It's fine. What's matter though? You're running around like a chicken without a head" Pidge stated, dusting off her green and white shirt, and straightened her glasses. "You know that book I carry with me everywhere?" (y/n) asked. Pidge thought about it. She had never really got a good look at it, but she knew what her friend was talking about. The book looked old, beaten, and weathered. That was all she could remember from it. "Kinda, yeah. What about it?" the hazel eyed girl asked. "I lost it! I checked with the office, got yelled at by Haggar, but they didn't have it. Can you help me check the lost and found?" (y/n) asked, her hands in a pleading position. "Of course. Don't worry, we'll find it" Pidge told her, placing a reassuring hand on (y/n)'s shoulder. (Y/n) smiled and grabbed her best friends wrist and ran to the lost and found. "Let's hurry! It's almost time to start first hour!" she said, dashing through the hall. She didn’t realize she was dragging Pidge behind her. It didn't take long until the reached a small room with a door. On the door was a cardboard sign that read "LOST AND FOUND". Pidge opened the door to reveal a few boxes with labels like winter "winter wear", or "school supplies". Pidge and (y/n) scoured the boxes, looking for the book. Pidge was looked through a box that was labeled "TEXTBOOKS" when she came across a thick, beaten, brown book with gold lining the pages, reminding her of a bible. She didn't know why, but she opened it to the first page. Her eyes widened when she saw the name "(y/n) (m/n) (l/n)" in neat cursive ink. "Hey (y/n), I found it" Pidge called from across the room. (Y/n) must have been able to teleport, because she appeared right at Pidge's side, scaring the hazel eyed girl. Pidge screamed, holding the book to her chest. "Really? It is! Thanks!" (y/n) said, taking the book. Pidge looked at her friend. She had on a relieved face, clearly happy she got it back.  _ She must really care about that book _ , Pidge thought. But why? What could be so possibly important about that book? Of course, being the curious girl she was, Pidge just had to ask. "Why do you care about it so much? I mean, what's its importance?" Pidge asked (y/n). (Y/n) turned to look at Pidge. "It's the last thing my parents gave me before they, um… uh, went away I guess. It's just a bunch of fairy tales that my mother modified for me. It makes them different from other versions" she explained, opening to a pages, and flipping them over. Pidge looked at her. She could have sworn she saw (y/n) tearing up. "(Y/n)... are-" Pidge started until she was cut off by the bell, meaning that school had started. "Come on Pidge. We don't want to be late" (y/n) said, heading out the door. She wiped her eyes, hugging the book close to her heart.  _ You shouldn't be crying. You're ok with it. You have Josie, Pidge and her family. You don't need those two at all. Right? No, no you don't _ , she thought as she sat down at her seat in science. They were taking exams today, and the new semester starts tomorrow, meaning she couldn't afford to be distracted. So, putting the book next to her, she looked at Pidge and her brothers who were sitting at their table. They looked happy.


	16. Chapter 16

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Pidge looked at (y/n) in art class as the hazel eyed girl washed her paintbrush at her seat. (Y/n) was reading her book, engrossed in the other world going on in her imagination. The (h/c) haired girl had finished her artwork project early and had decided to read instead of free draw. They had to paint something from nature, a topic that Pidge was happy about. Keith was having trouble mixing the colors, and he wasn’t doing  _ too _ terrible. Not to say that he was doing ok either. But it wasn’t long until Keith started a fight. “You're in art. When you're done, your opposed to be drawing more! That’s the whole point of this class!” Keith exclaimed. (Y/n) banged her head on the table. “My god Keith... I didn’t even do anything! I  _ read _ !” (y/n) said with venom in her voice. Pidge wished she could say she was used to her oldest brother starting unnecessary arguments, but she wasn’t. They were annoying. It was like fighting was the only he could stay alive. And she had enough of it. She even had an idea of how to stop the fight this time. Granted that it was below her, but it was worth a shot. “Both of you, stop fighting or else I tell the teacher” Pidge scolded them. The two teen looked at her with surprised faces. Keith looked at his sister, looking for anything that could tell him she was kidding. The I’m-going-to-tell-the-teacher-excuse was the child's way. They were in high school, surely she knew that. Right? “You don’t mean that. I know it” the coal haired boy stated. The hazel eyed girl shrugged her shoulders and stood up from her chair. Out of panic, Keith grabbed her arm and pushed her into her seat. Pidge had a victorious smirk on her face, causing Keith scowled at her. “Fine, you win” Keith said, going back to his work. (Y/n) watched the scene in wonder. Keith had stopped her from telling a teacher and had listened to his sister without complaint. She had underestimated Pidge, and the power she must have had over her brothers. The bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of school. (Y/n) packed up all her things and walked out, her backpack over her shoulder. She pulled her coat tighter around her in hopes of making herself warmer. It was freezing outside since it was almost winter, and the first snow was due next week. But today there was supposed to a giant rainstorm, so she had to run to one of her other jobs in town. Her second job was a cashier at the hardware store. It was a long ways from her apartment, so she would be stuck in the rain for a while after her shift. Her third job was at a thrift store. It was more of an antique shop, but her boss was strict about the name for some reason. (Y/n) ran through traffic, almost getting nicked by a car in the process. (Y/n) felt sweet relief when she saw the sign to her destination. Once she reached the door, she rushed into the hardware store and straightened her coat. Her boss, Mr. Miser, came in while carrying a few boxes stacked on top of each other. “Where have you been kid?” he asked. Mr. Miser was an older man, he had a few wrinkles, his thin hair was gray, and his voice was grouchy and deep. But (y/n) knew he was nice, even though he didn’t act like it. He set the boxes on the counter and looked at her. (Y/n) sighed and walked behind the counter, taking off her coat and putting on her apron while putting her hair up. “Sorry, it was crazy coming back since cars were going in and out-”. “I don’t want excuses. I need you to put these away while I take care of paperwork. Kapeash?” he asked. (Y/n) nodded her head. Mr. Miser walked into the back of the store where his office where was, and (y/n) started to unload the boxes. While unloading the last box, the door opened and Coran walking. He looked around the store and went over to the counter. After looking around him, he rang a small bell that echoed throughout the store. Seconds later (y/n) appeared at the counter. “Welcome to the hardware store, how can I help you? Coran, what are you doing here!” (y/n) asked the ginger brightly once she realized who the customer was. She didn’t seen the enthusiastic man in a while, and was happy to see someone she knew. “Oh hi (y/n)! I didn’t know you worked here!” Coran said. (Y/n) smiled and cleaned off the counter. “Only on this day of the week. So, what do you need?” (y/n) asked. Coran looked back at the shelves then back at her. “Well, I need plumbing tools. Our sink is broke and Allura thinks we should call a plumber, but I can fix it! But… I don’t know what I’ll need…” Coran explained, looking at the floor as he said that last part. (Y/n) smiled and quietly chuckled. “Come on, I’ll help you. This isn’t the first time this has happened” (y/n) said, walking out from behind the counter so she could help her friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) watched Coran walk out of the store, having everything he needed to fix his sink. She looked at the clock on the wall. It read seven thirty-nine. She had spent most of her shift explaining to Coran what tools he would need, and how to use them. It took longer that she had expected. The (h/c) haired girl took off her apron and pulled her coat on her, and swung her backpack over her shoulder. She didn’t need to tell Mr. Miser she was leaving. He knew when she left, and even hurried her at times. She left the building, immediately getting soaked to the bone from the cold rain. She ran down the sidewalk, not really paying attention to where she went. As she came to an intersection, a car zoomed by, splashing water from a puddle on her. (Y/n) shivered as she held her arms over her eyes. As she wiped the water from her face, she turned left and ran through the rain. The more she ran, the more that (y/n) started to think that she was lost. Stopping in defeat, (y/n) could feel herself starting to cry. She was lost in town, while it was raining cats and dogs, her phone was dead, so she couldn’t call anyone, and she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t know if it was the rain, but she could feel a tear roll down her face. (Y/n) sat on the curb with her knees pulled to her chest. Meanwhile, Shiro was driving down the road with the windshield wipers on. The four teens were in the back, talking about something he didn’t listen to. It was a long day for him, he had to stay late to grade exams, drop off Lance’s football equipment since the season was over, go shopping, and pick up some packages from the post office. And he had to do it all while dragging the Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge along with him. Right now, he just wanted to go to get a coffee, watch a movie, and go to bed. He was driving down the road when he saw someone sitting on the curb, basically soaking up the freezing cold rain. He couldn’t just leave them there, especially when they might need help. So Shiro parked the car and pulled out an umbrella from the glove box. He turned to the teens in the back with a serious face. “Stay here, and don't get out. I’ll be right back” he said as he got out of the car. He unfolded the umbrella and walked across the road to the person, and he couldn’t help but think that they look familiar. Once he reached them, the person tilted their head up. Shiro’s eyes went as wide as the moon. “(Y/n)?! What are you doing here!” Shiro asked her, worry easy to detect in his voice as he kneeled down in front of her. (Y/n) wiped her eyes and tried to calm herself down. He could tell she had been crying for a while. “I-I got lost, and couldn’t call anyone, a-and-” she tried to explain, but let out a sob. She couldn’t fight it, no matter how hard she tried. Shiro gently smiled, and his eyes softened. “It’s ok. Come on, you can stay at our house tonight” Shiro said as he held out his hand. (Y/n) looked at his hand, almost hesitant to take it. But she reached for it, and Shiro pulled her up and lead her to the car. (Y/n) hopped in the back, and Shiro got into the driver's seat. (Y/n) looked at the surprised faces in the car. “Woah, (y/n)? What happened?” Lance asked, moving a seat over so she could sit in the back with him and Keith. “I, um, got lost…” she said quietly, sitting in between the two. Keith looked at her. She was soaked, not a single dry spot on her. She was shivering violently, and she had tear streaks on her face. There had to be something that could keep her warm in here... He looked in the back of the car and spotted a thick red blanket. Keith looked at (y/n) before he reaching into the back and grabbing it. (Y/n) turned her head to see what the coal haired boy was doing, but her vision was covered by red, and she felt weight added on her back. She looked and saw Keith wrapping the blanket around her. Her eyes widened in astonishment. Keith ignored her and aimed the heat vents on the ceiling towards her. (Y/n) smiled at him as she felt the heat hit her face. The ride home back seemed quick for some odd reason. “Alright, get ready to run in” Shiro told them as he turned the car off. Everyone in the car did as they were told, hands on door handles, and prepared to run. “And… Go!” Shiro said, and everyone dashed out of the car and to the door. It was slammed open as they all piled in the house, eager to get out of the rain. Pidge was the last one in, so she closed the door and leaned on it. “You know, I think I’d rather take snow than rain” she said. Lance nodded in agreement with her. He loved rain a lot, but this was ridiculous. Shiro looked at all of the teens, and turned on the light. He turned to the group, and caught their attention. “Alright, go change into dry clothes. Pidge, you’ll have to let (y/n) barrow some clothes. (Y/n), take a warm shower and put our wet clothes into the dryer in the basement. Got it?” Shiro told them. Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and (y/n) nodded their heads and and headed up stairs. Lance headed to his room, and pulled out his pajamas and and blue robe. Just as he was done getting dressed, he heard the shower in the bathroom turn on.  _ (Y/n) must be taking her shower _ , he thought as he tied his rope around his waist. Once he was done, Lance poked his head out from his door and looked bothway down the hall. Not seeing anyone, he stepped out of his room and walked down stairs to see Shiro. The scared man was sitting at the couch with a cup of coffee in his hand, in an oversized shirt and sweatpants. In his other was the TV remote. Lance hopped on the couch next to him, sitting like a child in preschool. Or criss-cross-applesauce as he liked to put it. “Hey Shiro, what are you doing?” Lance asked. “I’m putting on a movie. It’s been a long day, and I just want to relax” Shiro told the blue eyed teen, who nodded and settled into his place on the couch. Keith and Hunk came down the stairs just as the movie Shiro chose started to play. “Ooooo, what are we watching?” Hunk asked, leaning over the railing of the stairs. “Ummm, I don’t know. But Shiro picked it out” Lance told them. Keith and Hunk walked into the living room and sat on the floor in front of the couch. Then (y/n) and Pidge came down. Pidge recognized what movie it was and a bright smile spread on her face. “Oh! I love this movie! Come on, your watching this with us!” Pidge exclaimed as she dragged the (h/c)haired girl to the couch. (Y/n) still had the red blanket wrapped around her, but she wasn’t shivering anymore. While she and her best friend watched the movie, the storm started to lighten up, but only bit by bit. As time went on, Shiro could see everyone's eyes starting to drop close. Now that he thought about it, Shiro was starting to feel tired too. He let out a long yawn and checked the time. His eyes widened when it read nine fifty-four. It was almost ten o’clock! Shiro wanted to relax and watch a movie, not stay up this late on a school night! He looked around, about to yell out for everyone to go to bed. But he saw that they were already out like a like bulb. Shiro smiled gently at them and quietly turned off the TV. After that, he carefully got up from the couch without waking any of the sleeping teens. As he turned the lights off, Shiro looked at the group one last time before he climbed up the stairs to go to bed. They all looked so peaceful, sleeping in the living room like that. As he laid down in bed, his phone got a text message. Wondering who would text him this late, Shiro checked his phone. It was Allura, saying that the roads froze and school was canceled for tomorrow. Shiro could feel himself smiling as he slowly fell asleep, knowing he could sleep in.


	17. Chapter 17

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ A small girl sat in a chair in a room, she was almost eight years old. The room was plain, boring, and deathly quiet. The seat she sat on was navy blue, and it wasn’t as comfy as it looked. But that wasn’t was on her mind at the moment. The girl’s (h/c) hair was in her eyes, and her little legs dangled freely off the edge of the chair. The bottom of her feet would occasionally brush against the medium-sized cardboard box that held a few items. Just a few, but they were important to her nonetheless. The little girl had been in this room for only god knows how long. She sadly sighed and brought her knees to her chest. Her (e/c) eyes stared at the tan carpet and she lowered her head. The bow in the back of her head fell out her hair. She didn’t give a crap about it. The door that was at the other end of the wall opened to reveal a young woman. She had brown hair that was up in a bun, her glasses framing her face. Her light skin went well with her dark colored suit. Her eyes gazed at the little girl with kindness and sent her a tiny smile. The (h/c) haired girl looked up at the women. “Hello? (Y/n) (m/n) (l/n)?” the women said. The (h/c) haired girl sat up straight and looked at her in the eyes, responding to her name. “Yeah?” (y/n) asked, getting up out of her seat and standing up. The brown haired women opened the door some more and motioned her to go through. “Come on, we have to go now. It’ll be ok, I promise” she said with care in her voice. (Y/n) could tell it was genuine. She let herself smile and grabbed her box from the ground. With her box in hand, (y/n) walked through the door and saw- _

(Y/n) woke up to a weight on her legs, sun shining in her eyes. Wait, the sun didn’t reach the bed in her room, and her hand could feel that she wasn’t even in her bed at all. (Y/n)’s eyes fluttered open, and, for a split second, she had no clue where she was. She felt panic as her eyes widened. (Y/n) looked around the room as the memories flooded her mind, and she calmed down. She remembered getting lost, Shiro helping her, everything. Well, she couldn’t remember how the movie went, but she remembered most of the night. As she lifted her eyes, she could see Keith, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance all in the living room with her. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling at them. They were all fast asleep, cuddling each other. On the couch, Lance was laying on top of Pidge while hugging her from her side. And the said hazel eyed girl was the weight on (y/n)’s legs, which acted as a pillow for Pidge. They both looked so peaceful, and (y/n) didn’t dare to move. She didn’t want to risk a chain reaction. Then she looked down and saw Hunk and Keith. The (h/c) haired girl covered her hand to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape her. Hunk was leaning against the couch with his head leaning on his shoulder, a small bit of drool hanging from his mouth. And Keith was lying on the floor with his head resting on a pillow, and his feet across Hunk’s lap. (Y/n) couldn’t believe it, the whole lot of them were  _ cuddlers _ ! She pulled the thick red blanket tighter around herself. But she froze when she felt movement on her legs and saw Pidge lifting her head up. Her round glasses were hanging off of her ears and rested on her chin. Her hazel eyes were half open from just waking up. “Morning Pidge” (y/n) whispered, facing her best friend. Pidge rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up, without waking up Lance. “Why are we still here? Shouldn’t we be at school?” Pidge asked (y/n) while rubbing her tired eyes. (Y/n) shook her head no. “I think it’s a snow day or something like that, or else Shiro would have woken us all up” (y/n) explained, sitting up straight. Pidge laid on her best friend for a few more minutes, causing the (h/c) haired teens legs to fall asleep and bring forth the pins and needles that came with it. “Pidge... Pidge,” (y/n) said, shaking her friend's shoulder. She sighed. (Y/n) didn’t want to bother Pidge, but she wanted to get her off her legs. “Pidge!” (y/n) whispered a bit louder, successfully gaining Pidge’s attention. The hazel eyed girl looked up again. “Yes?” she asked, staring blankly at her. “Get off my legs… Please?” (y/n) quickly added. Pidge groaned and finally sat up, relieving her friends legs of the pins and needles in them. As (y/n) enjoyed the feeling of her legs waking up, Pidge pushed Lance off of her and stood up straight on the couch. She stretched her arms and legs, yawning deeply. After she was done, Pidge got up and walked towards the stairs. (Y/n) watched her friend as she did this, her (e/c) eyes following her. “Where are you going?” (y/n) asked. “My room. You can come with me if you want” Pidge mumbled as she climbed the stairs. (Y/n) looked around the room full off sleeping boys. There really wasn’t anything she could do other than just sit there and think. Deciding that the option didn’t sound all that appealing, (y/n) wrapped the red blanket around her, got out of her spot on the couch and caught up with Pidge. She walked into her best friends room, to see her on her computer. The (h/c) haired teen smiled brightly before jumped on next to her, surprising Pidge. “Geez (y/n)! Don’t do that!” Pidge exclaimed, her hand gripping the monitor of the computer. (Y/n) giggled, and looked on Pidge’s computer.

“Whatcha doing?”

“I’m researching”

“Researching what?” 

“I’m researching something for school”

“Why?”

“Because it was supposed to be due today, but now it’s due Monday”

“If it’s due on Monday, why are you working on it right now?”

Pidge narrowed her eyes at her best friend. She was asking questions just to annoy her, and it was working. “Well?” (y/n) asked with a small, bright, smile on her face. “(Y/n), please leave me alone. It’s eight in the morning. I don’t wake up as easily as you do” Pidge told her. (Y/n) sighed, giving up. She looked around, wanting to find something to do. Her eyes eventually settled on a picture that sat on the dresser, but couldn’t see it that well because of the lack of light. So she got off of the bed, and walked over to in front of the dresser where the framed picture was. It was a framed picture of the whole family. Shiro, Allura, Coran, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. They were at a sunny beach, deep blue waves and seagulls in the background. They all looked like they were enjoying themselves, bathing suits and hair drenched in water, with light in their eyes, and smiles so bright, that anyone would’ve thought they never stopped. “Where was this?” (y/n) asked, not looking away from the picture. “Lake Michigan last summer,” Pidge said memoried starting to surface to her mind, causing her to smile. “Hunk got such a bad sunburn, that he couldn’t go into the sunlight at all for the rest of the trip. And then Keith put on sunscreen, but no one could tell because of his pale skin. Of course, Coran couldn’t tell the difference, so he kept on telling Keith to put on sunscreen or else he’d burn up! So we all kept on teasing him the whole time!” Pidge laughed, remembering all the funning moments. (Y/n) looked at the picture, they were one big happy family. It made her think about the  _ Ice Age _ movies, and how the characters were a big family despite the different species. Now that she thought about it, they didn’t look anything alike. Could they be adopted?  _ Well, I don’t see any other way that it would go _ , (y/n) thought. But it wasn’t a definite answer. “Hey, Pidge,” (y/n) said, turning her head a little bit towards her friend. “Hmm?” Pidge replied. “Are… are you all adopted?” (y/n) asked, nervous of how Pidge would react to her question. She was scared that Pidge would yell and scream, or get really mad about it. But she was scared that Pidge might not even know that she could be adopted. “Obviously” Pidge told (y/n) simply, who let out a deep breath with a relieved smile on her face. “Really? All of you? How did Shiro find you guys?” (y/n) asked Pidge, joining her on the bed. Pidge sighed and closed her computer, setting it carefully on the messy floor where she knew she wouldn’t lose it. “First I’ll tell you my story, ok?” Pidge asked, gaining a nod from (y/n). “I don’t remember much from my earlier life anymore since it was a long time ago. Just that my Dad and brother were both scientist, and died in a car crash due to a drunk driver. Since my mom died a few years back, I had to go into group homes, A.K.A, an orphanage. Then this random lady come up to me one day saying that I’m going to a place where I’ll be taken care of for a while. That’s how I met Shiro and the others. When I walked in through the door at this house, they were all excited. Except for Keith, he didn’t show much emotion. In fact, he still doesn’t show much emotion from time to time,” Pidge said, causing her best friend to giggle. “Anyway, they knew that they were expecting a girl. But they didn’t know that I was far from girly. This room… It used to be pink. There used to be Barbie dolls. I used to freaking clean!” Pidge exclaimed. “Really?!” (Y/n) replied, surprised. “Yeah, I know. It was weird at first, since I had literally just gotten there. I mean, I was used to horrible food, tons of kids, a schedule, not great schooling, and being yelled at for dumb stuff. Then I came here where the food is great, there were only three other kids, I could do stuff and not be yelled at, and I went to a real school! It was really fun. Then four months later, my birthday came up. They were all smiling and telling me that they loved me. Then Shiro called everyone to the table in the kitchen so he could give me my birthday present. It was adoption papers for me… I can still remember the words he said…”

_ Pidge looked at the file in her hands. She knew that the family was crazy, that much was obvious. But what could kind of birthday present could be in here? “What is it Shiro?” Pidge asked, her glasses sliding down her nose, since they were way too big for her. Shiro leaned over and straightened her glasses for her. “Open it,it’s your birthday present” Shiro told her. Pidge looked down at the file in her hands. She took a deep breath and looked at Keith, Lance, and Hunk. Keith was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, Lance was bouncing in his seat, and Hunk was sitting with a big smile on his face. She opened it and stared at the paper in her hands. She didn’t know how to react, so she just stared at them. Keith looked at her before his eyes widened. “Shiro, I don’t think I ordered them right...” he said quietly. Shiro groaned, taking the papers from Pidge and ordering them. He glared at Keith as he handed them back to her. Keith heard Pidge gasp a moment later and snapped his head towards her. Pidge was staring at the papers, reading the words on them until she came to the part everyone was waiting for. “You… you want to adopt me…” Pidge said, her voice cracking. Shiro gently smiled at her. “Of course, why wouldn’t we? Your family, your part of the team... But,” Shiro added, looking down with a sad look on his face. It almost looked heartbroken. “People have to choose to be on a team, the can’t be forced. That’s why we decided to give you that decision… It’s a choice that you have to make. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. If you do, then we can sign those papers to make them official, then drive up to the agency” Shiro told her. At this point, Pidge was almost crying. This worried them  _ a lot _ . Did she feel guilty because she didn’t want to be apart of the family? Was she just being emotional? Pidge stared at the papers, a few tears falling on the soft, smooth, white surface. Pidge looked up and ran over to Shiro, wrapping her arms around his torso. “Of course I want you to sign the papers!” she cried, happy tears flowing down her cheeks. _

(Y/n) whipped her eyes when Pidge was done with her story. “Wow. That was really… wow…” (y/n) said, not being able to find the right words for what she wanted to say. “Yeah, it is” Pidge said. “Hey, what about the rest of the group?” (y/n) asked Pidge. “Oh, well Lance and Hunk say that they were kinda always on their own, looking out for each other. Then Lance fellout of a tree and screamed, which is how Shiro and Keith found them. Lucky, Lance wasn’t hurt much when he fell down, so he could adopt them both without any problem about a week later” Pidge told (y/n). “Awww. Wait, what about Keith?” (y/n) asked. Pidge didn’t explain anything about Keith. Why? “What about Keith?” (y/n) asked. Pidge’s glasses seamed to gleam with a ray of light that came out of nowhere. “Keith has been here the longest. That’s all I’ll tell you. No offense, it’s just that Keith doesn’t want anyone but him telling people his “story”. If you want to call it that. The only reason I told you Hunk and Lance’s is because I know that they won’t care. It’s a rule we have here” Pidge explained. (Y/n) nodded her head in understanding. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t curious anymore.


	18. Chapter 18

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith walked into English, his binder safely tucked under his arm so it wouldn’t fall. Him and (y/n) were still at that stupid table together, sitting as far as they could away from each other. They still hated each other. As he sat in his seat, Keith couldn’t help but look outside. It was a pure whiteout, he couldn’t even see an inch past the window. And the frost on the bottom of the window was so thick, he thought that both sides had frost on them. His focus was broken when he heard a seat scrape against the floor, and he knew it was (y/n). He internally groaned inside, wishing that he had chosen a different seat. So he sat there staring out the window until he heard the teacher start class. “Hello class! How was this year's first snow day like?” she asked cheerfully. The class barely gave a coherent response. “Oh come on, someone tell me what you did! Snowman, ice skating, dunk their brothers head in the snow…” she said, trying to get her students to answer.  _ She must be talking about me on that last one _ , Keith humorously thought, searching his binder for a pencil. “No, not anyone? Fine. Well, since the lot of you don’t want to talk, we can skip right to the quiz I had planned” she told them, passing out papers. Keith slammed his head on the table. He absolutely hated tests. The only reason he would actually study was if he needed to get his grade up. Other than that, they seemed so useless! Then again, Keith thought that almost everything about school was useless. And none of his teachers or fellow students really liked him, so he didn’t see any real reason that he should be here. It was the rebel in him. Meanwhile, (Y/n) was reading her book but she knew what was going on. It was a talent she had developed over the years, reading and paying attention at the same time. It proved to be handy sometimes. She thanked her teacher when she received her quiz. There were twenty questions, which didn’t seem that bad to her. The English teacher continued to pass out papers. “You all know the rules. No talking, when you're done you read, stuff like that. After you complete it, come turn it in at my desk so you can get your new class schedule for the term” the teacher instructed, sitting down in her seat behind her desk. (Y/n) sadly put down her book down next to her test and started answering questions. The questions were easy enough, some harder than others. After she was done, (y/n) instantly stood up from her seat, paper in hand. And she took a single step, tripping over something, and went crashing to the floor face-first. No sooner when she fell, she felt a sudden force on her side and someone tripping over her. She sat up to see Keith on the ground with his feet next to her. The coal haired teen sat up rubbing his forehead to see the irritating (e/c) eyed girl next to him. “What the heck? Are you so clumsy that you can trip over thin air?” he asked her in an angry, and hurtful tone that made her flinch. “Mr. Kogane, that’s enough,” the English teacher said in a stern voice, catching everyone's attention. “Now turn in your papers and sit down. And next time, tie your shoes Miss (l/n)” she added, glaring at the two. As (y/n) stood up, she looked down at her feet to see that her shoelaces had come undone, causing her to blush in embarrassment. _ I sure feel stupid… _ , she thought, grabbing her new term schedule and quickly sitting down. She could feel Keith’s hateful glare from the other side of the table. Why was he mad at her? Surely he had to know that she didn’t trip on purpose. She ignored him and looked down at her paper, wanting to see her new classes.  _ I got art as an extracurricular and… Yearbook/debate! _ , she thought, pure fear spreading through her veins, to every part of her body. She didn’t even sign up for it! How could she have possibly gotten that class? She didn’t mind the yearbook part. She thought that she could be a great photographer, and could edit pictures to look nice. It was the debate part that was the problem. She hated arguing, and she couldn’t handle her stage fright. (Y/n) knew that she would freeze up like a statue, and become a laughing stalk of the class. Lucky, they didn’t start the new schedules until next week. Keith looked at his schedule. He had P.E. and robotics.  _ Shiro teaches robotics, so it should be kinda fun. I think _ , he thought to himself, setting the paper down. He looked at (y/n), who had horrified look on her face. What could be so scary on her paper to make her face look like she was watching a horror movie? Did she get sex ed.? If she did, he had zero sympathy for her. For the rest of the class, Keith watched the snow fell violently to the ground. He didn’t know what was so interesting about it. After a while, Keith turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. As if on cue, the bell rang out, and Keith immediately got up, running out of class so he could go to his fifth hour, computers. It was one of the only two hours where he had no one he knew with him. His other class was history. It was nice for him, to have no one bugging him. Especially if it was Lance that he could get away from. As he ran to the computer lab, Keith ran through the crowded halls like a pinball. He dodged every student he passed and knew when and where to turn or stop before he could slam into a wall. “No running!” a voice yelled, no doubt belonging to a teacher. Keith could care less if it earned him detention, he was till going to run. He was the first one to reach the lab. It was quiet and smelled like apples. And it had the nice calming heat to it. He hated the subject, but loved the room itself. And then the other students came in and he decided it was only nice without other people in it. He sat down at his computer and logged into his account and got started right away on the assignment he was given. As he worked, no one talked to him or even acknowledged him.  _ Good to know nothing’s out of place in here _ , he thought, breathing in the scent of apples while clicking his mouse. As he worked, the coal haired boy’s head started to hurt, like a lightning bolt striking his head over and over again. He massaged his temples as another wave of pain shot through his head. He thought it must have been from staring at the computer screen for too long, so he turned in his assignment as quick as he could and rested his eyes until class was over. But it didn’t stop, it continued as time went slowly along. When he met up with Pidge and (y/n) in sixth hour, the hazel eyed girl said she was feeling the same thing. “Ugggghhhh! It hurts so bad, and I feel icky” she complained, her head laying down on the table, ignoring the paper in front of her. (Y/n) looked between the two. They both looked fine to her. Well, maybe a little more pale than usual, but fine. “Maybe it’s just a bug that's going around, and it’ll be gone by tomorrow morning” she told them, tracing her drawing with a sharpie. “No, I don’t think so. The flu has been jumping from family to family lately, so I think we may have caught it” Pidge groaned, her voice muffled. The bell rang, a little too loud for both Pidge and Keith’s headaches. As they walked to their lockers, they saw Lance and Hunk waiting for them. “Hey gu- gu- achoo!” Hunk sneezed, his elbow covered in boogers. Lance lazily dug through his backpack and gave the raven haired teen a box of tissues so he could clean himself up. “How are you guys feeling?” Lance asked, his voice sounding rough and scratchy. “Not any better by the looks of it” Keith said, grabbing his backpack and following the group to the parking lot. They all waited, huddled in a little body warmth circle as they waited for Shiro. The wind was tearing into their skin, and the snow that blew were like ice-cold bullets. They heard a car honking and turned their heads to see the scared man in the car. All of their eyes filled up with light at the sight. Keith. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge ran inside, relishing in the heat of the car. “Hey- Achoo!” Shiro said, sneezing before he could say much. “Oh no, not you too!” Lance exclaimed, handing Shiro another box from his bag.  _ Where did he get all of those all of a sudden? _ , Keith thought. Shiro blew his nose loudly. He’s been feeling like crap all day, and all he wanted was to go to sleep when he got home. “Yeah, me too. So, your all sick too?” he asked, receiving a nod from everyone. “Alright then. Let's go home” Shiro said as he drove the car down the snowy road, and to their house. After a few minutes, Shiro pulled into their driveway. He got out of the car, the group of teen following him into the house. Shiro opened the door and held it open for them, and closed it when he stepped inside. “Well, at least we’ll have a white christmas” Shiro joked, trying to cheer them up. When he could see that he clearly hadn’t, he sight and hung up his coat. “Up to the bathroom everyone, I’m taking temperatures” he told them, marching up to the bathroom. They all groggily followed Shiro in a line up the stairs. Shiro walked into the bathroom, checking the mirror cupboard for the thermometers. “Here they are…” he said quietly to himself, taking a pack of five thermometers off of a shelf. Shiro popped one into each of their mouths, waiting patiently for them all to beep. A small little,  _ beep beep! _ , went off and Shiro checked everyone's thermometers. He grimissed at the results, hoping that they would all be ok. But his hope were quickly crush in a single moment. “Me, ninety-nine. Keith, one hundred and one point five. Lance, ninety-nine point three. Hunk, one hundred. And Pidge, ninety-nine,” he told them, listing off each of their temperatures. “Well guys, looks like we’ll be miserably the next few days…” Shiro said. They teens all groan in sadness. “Can’t we just take a pill or something?” Pidge asked, leaning against the doorway for support. Her head was spinning, but she could still kinda stand. “No, we don’t have anything to take. I’ll have to call Allura to drop something off. Until then, Hunk can only cook for himself” Shiro said. There was an immediate uproar.

“What!”

“Are you trying to make being sick worst!”

“What do you mean, that he can only cook for himself! That means you have to cook your own food too!”

“I actually don’t mind it”

Keith, Lance, and Pidge snapped their heads to look at Hunk. “Look guys, I don’t like it either, but Shiro knows that I need rest. We  _ all _ do. Plus, I have emergency microwave food” Hunk told them. Shiro looked to the side. “Actually, it was because I don’t want you to A, sneeze on our food. And B, spread the germs around even more” Shiro explained. “Oh… ok” Hunk said, looking off to the side. Shiro took a deep breath before he pulled out his phone. “I have to call Allura so she call in a sub” Shiro told them, walking to his room. Lance glared at Hunk. “Lance, I’m sorry-”. “Shush. Don’t talk to me traitor” he said dramatically before he swaggered down the hall and into his room. 

“Don’t worry Hunk, he’ll get over the fact that he can’t cook eventually”

“Yeah, his cooking  _ is _ terrible”

“I HEARD THAT!”


	19. Chapter 19

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Shiro groaned into his pillow as his stomach gave another lurch. This had been going on since three-thirty in the morning, and it hasn’t stopped since then. He would have given almost anything to have a headache, runny nose, or even a fever, just not a sick stomach. But he knew that he couldn’t complain. The kids weren’t in any better condition. Hunk had thrown up four times, Lance and Pidge had massive headaches, and Keith's temperature was slowly, but dangerously, rising. He checked the time on his clock, and it was two-thirty PM, so that meant Allura would come by with some medicine there in about five minutes and they could finally get help. Meanwhile, Lance was in the bathroom, kneeling by the toilet. His migraine was hurting so bad that he was starting to feel sick. “Grrrrrrrrrr!” he growled into the toilet seat. He knew that he wouldn’t throw up, but being able to lean on the toilet helped him. He was interrupted when there was furious knocking at the bathroom door. He knew that it couldn’t be good. “Lance! Get out right now!” Hunk yelled. Lance’s eyes widened. Lance had never ran so fast in his entire life as he ran to his room, leaving Hunk to hurl in the bathroom. For a fleeting second, he felt happy that he only had a massive headache to worry about. Lance flopped on his bed, his head spinning in pain.  _ Why us? Why us, out of all the people in our town?! _ , the blue eyed teen thought angrily. Lance was trying to fall asleep when he heard the door open and a pair of feet walk into the house. “Hello Keith, where's everyone else?” a familiar voice asked Keith, who was currently downstairs being miserable on the couch. Lance immediately recognize that voice and perked up tremendously.  _ Allura! _ , Lance thought as he bolted up and ran down the stairs. “Allura! Thank god you're here!” Lance exclaimed as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “I know. I brought some medicine to give you all. It’s not much, but there's enough for all of you, and it should help your conditions a little bit” Allura explained, pulling an amber medicine bottle out of her coat pocket. But to Lance and Keith, it might as well have been gold. Allura walked into the kitchen and opened the drawer that held all of the families silverware. She picked up five spoons and walked back to the living room. “Lance, go upstairs and lay down. Keith, sit up, now” she told them. The two brothers did as they were told. Allura sat next to Keith on the couch. She twisted to medicine bottle open and poured some red liquid in the spoon. “Open your mouth” Allura ordered him. Keith listened and the white haired women quickly put the spoon in his mouth. Keith grimaced at the taste, forcing himself to swallow the horrid tasting medicine. Keith had zero gag reflex, but he did gag on that damned medicine. Even when eating Lance’s crap that was called food, he didn't gag one bit. “What the hell is that?!” Keith asked Allura, an angry look on his face. Allura narrowed her eyes at him. “Something that will help. I know the taste is awful, believe me. But it should help a bit” she told him sternly, getting up and heading toward the second floor. She could hear Hunk throwing up in the bathroom.  _ I’ll just get him last _ , she thought as she made her way to Shiro’s room. She opened the door to find the scarred man in a pile of blankets. “Shiro, it’s me, Allura. I brought medicine” she told him. Shiro lifted his head, his white hair tuff in his eyes. His steel eyes were now a boring gray, and his once healthy looking skin was almost as pale as Keith’s. His hair had no volume to it, so it just hung from his head. In a short description, he looked rough. “Wow Shiro, I’ve never seen you look so… dead before” Allura said bluntly. “Yeah yeah, just give me the spoon already” Shiro said, holding out his hand. Allura handed Shiro the spoon. “I have to warn you, it tastes disgusting” Allura told Shiro before he shoved it right into his mouth. The face he made caused the white haired women to burst out laughing as he swallowed. Shiro couldn’t help but glare at his friend. “I’m glad my disgusted face makes you laugh” he said dryly. “Me too!” Allura laughed. “Just go and get the other kids” the scarred man told her as he went back to bed. If this was how the first day was, he didn’t want to know what tomorrow was going to be like.

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(Y/n) was walking on the ice-coated sidewalk down her best friends neighborhood. Shiro, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge hadn't been at school for the past three days due to them having the flu. She knew that they were only sick, but still wanted to make sure that they were ok. So when the teacher in some of her classes wanted someone to drop off homework to the family, she jumped at the chance. And the second school was over, (y/n) grabbed her stuff and the homework, and started walking to her destination. She was glad that there wasn’t any wind, just calm snow that peacefully fell to the ground. After walking for a few more minutes, (y/n) finally saw the house she’s been looking for. She ran up to the door and stepped inside. After taking her coat off, she looked around. She could see Keith fast asleep on the couch, covered head to toe in blankets. Quietly walking up the stairs, (y/n) walked down the dark hallway to Pidge’s room. It was messy as usual, and her bed was practically a nest. The (h/c) haired girl walked over to her friend and woke her up. “What?” the girl asked, looking up from her pillow to see (y/n). “Oh, hi. Why are you here?” Pidge asked, her face falling back to her pillow. “I came here because you guys have three days of homework from school. Also, you haven’t been responding to anything I sent you!” (y/n) scolded. “You try being sick” Pidge told her in a muffled voice. “I have been, but three days is kinda a long time. You should be better, so why aren't you?” (y/n) asked in a worried voice. They really should have been better. To (y/n), they were the kind of family to have everything together. If there was a problem, they would fix it, and it would be solved. Weather it be the easy way or the hard way. “Because we have no medicine right now” Pidge explained. “What do you mean you guys don’t have any? Hasn’t anybody gone to the sto-”. “In case you haven’t noticed, all the people who can drive are in no condition. Shiro’s drowsy, Keith’s on his deathbed, Lance wouldn’t drive if I paid him, and Hunk… let's just say he keeps on having to empty his stomach” Pidge told her best friend. (Y/n) narrowed her eyes at her, but Pidge either didn’t notice, or brushed it off. “You still could have called someone! Did you guys even eat anything the past three days? Have you guys been going to the bathroom, drinking water, or moving around at least? Have you been taking care of yourselves!” (y/n) asked, raising her voice. Pidge looked away. The hazel eyed girl had never seen (y/n) like this before. Pidge had seen her annoyed or pissed off plenty of times, but never truly angry. Pidge turned her head to look at (y/n). “No… we haven’t…” Pidge said quietly. They both stayed silent for about ten minutes, not knowing what to say. But it was broken when pidge sneezed. (Y/n) smiled, and walked out of the room. A moment later, she walked in with a tissue box in hand. Pidge smiled as she watched (y/n) place the box next to the bed. “Well, I’m going to run, literally run, to the store and pick up medicine and other stuff you’ll need. Plus, call my work to tell them I’m playing nurse for the weekend” (y/n) told Pidge. “Be back soon please” Pidge said quietly, watching the (h/c) haired teen walk away. (Y/n) was putting on her coat as she pulled out her phone. She had to run while telling the thrift store the situation she was in, which caused her to slip on the icy sidewalks a few times. But that didn’t stop her from continuing to run to the small store that was in the downtown area. She opened the doors and hastily walked in, warming her hands in the entrance. It wasn’t much of a store, but more of a pharmacy or drugstore. She looked around the building, reading the signs that hung above the isles while grabbing a basket. (Y/n) walked through the shelves looking for the items she’d need for the time being.  _ I need pain relievers, fever reducers, and… this will work _ , (y/n) thought, grabbing immunity vitamins and putting it in her basket. After spending a few more minutes of looking for stuff she would need, (y/n) walked up to the cashier. He looked no more than sixteen years old. He scanned the items one by one, putting them in a plastic bag. “That’ll be twenty dollars and twenty-nine cents” he told her in a bland voice. (Y/n) nodded her head, laying the money on the counter. She grabbed the bag, running out into the cold outdoor world once again. The run back was calmer that the run there, which was a relief to the (h/c) haired teen. At the moment, (y/n) was nudging Pidge, who had fallen asleep while she was gone. “Pidge, Pidge, Pidge!” (y/n) yelled. The hazel eyed girl groan and lifted her head. “Easy on the yelling!” she scolded. “Oh shut up and take your medicine,” (y/n) told her, holding out a vitamin and a pill in one hand, and a cup of water in the other. “The vitamin will help your immunity, and the pill will help your headache” she explained. “Thanks!” Pidge exclaimed. Once Pidge was done taking her medicine, (y/n) headed to what she guessed was Shiro’s room. He took his medicine with no problem, although it was a lights-on-but-no-ones-home kind of situation. Lance was excited to see his friends, but hated that the medicine he had was a liquid. “I hate those kind, they always taste disgusting!” he exclaimed dramatically. And (y/n) was glad that she had found Hunk half alive in his room. “Oh I’m so glad you're here!” Hunk said, his eyes watering tears of happiness. “You and me both buddy” (y/n) replied, pouring the medicine onto his spoon. Hunk took the spoon and swallowed the vitamin and medicine in one go. The raven haired teen fought the urge to gag for his friends sake. She, in his opinion, had gone out of her way spending her time and effort to help them, when she could have ran back her home to avoid getting sick. But she was risking her health for them, so he was going to pretend that he liked his horrible, disgusting, puke worthy, medicine. After Hunk laid back down, (y/n) walked into the hallway and closed his door. She sighed as she held an amber bottle of medicine for the only remaining human in the house.  _ Keith _ . She knew that it was going to end with them fighting, and it would be worst since he was sick, but she couldn’t leave him on his deathbed. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. Keith could here the stairs creaking as someone walked down the them. He tried to will the person to go away, or ignore him completely. It obviously didn’t work because a second later, he felt his shoulder being nudged. Keith wiped the coat of sweat off his forehead and sat up. He found it almost impossible to open his eyes, like they weighed millions of pounds each. But he managed to at least open them halfway. His vision wasn’t the best, but it was enough to see clearly. “What the hell are you doing?” Keith asked as he saw (y/n) sitting next to him. “I’m helping you” she said before she shoved a thermometer in his mouth. Keith was about to say something, when the beeping sound cut him off. He watched (y/n) take the thermometer from him. “My god…” she whispered as she stared at the number on the screen. It read one hundred and three point two. Keith watched (y/n)’s expression change from annoyed to extremely worried. “What is it?” he quietly asked, once again wiping sweat from his forehead. “I have to give you medicine  _ now _ ” (y/n) told him, her expression never changing as he saw her pull out two medicine containers. “Here, take this,” she said, handing him a vitamin. He ate it right as she raised a spoon. He could see the bottle in her hand, and it looked just like the one Allura gave him. “And open your mouth” (y/n) told him, bringing the spoon closer. “Noooo way! I’m not taking that sh-”. “Keith, we don’t have time for this!” she told him in an urgent tone. She shoved the spoon forward in hopes of catching the coal haired boy off guard, but he knocked the spoon out of her hand and it landed on the couch. “Son of a…” (y/n) muttered to herself. Why couldn’t he see that she was trying to help him! He needed this stupid medicine and he was making this difficult! She needed to get him to stay still for one second. The (e/c) eyed teen grabbed the spoon, wiped if off, and poured the medicine again. They both glared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, as quick as light, she grabbed his nose and pulled it up, shoving the spoon in his mouth. Keith instinctively swallowed the medicine. He waited for the horrible taste, but it never came. Instead he tasted something… sweet? (Y/n) yanked the spoon back, setting all of the medicine on the floor. Keith looked at her confused. “It’s  _ bubblegum _ ,” she said. “Cost me two extra dollars, but I thought you’d like it. I didn't think you’d put up such a fight. I should have asked you what your favorite flavor I guess” she said sarcastically, but he knew that she was still worried. (Y/n) leaned over and pushed his shoulders back so he was laying on his back. He couldn’t help but close his eyes. He could hear distant footsteps traveling all over the house, but they seemed to echo. His eyes shot open when he felt his pillow and blanket suddenly vanish. (Y/n) was throwing them into a small pile on the floor. “Hey-” he said, but was cut off when a bigger pillow and a familiar thick red blanket was thrown in his face. He laid his pillow down while spreading the blanket out over him and laid on his back, wiping the sweat off of his neck. (Y/n) walked over to Keith and placed a wet washcloth across his forehead. The freezing cold water felt amazing against his burning skin. “It’ll help you cool down… Get some rest. I'm going to cook you guys some food” (y/n) told him as she headed towards the kitchen. She didn’t know how to cook, but she was able to find some easy microwave meals. She just hoped it wouldn’t burn.


	20. Chapter 20

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Pidge and (y/n) both walked to their math class together, sitting in their seats which were only a few feet from each other. (Y/n) read the whiteboard as she pulled out the homework they were assigned for over the weekend. She looked at Pidge who, thanks to her, knew the all the new material she missed. After a few minutes, the bell rang throughout the whole school loud and clear. The teacher immediately walked up to the class and erased the board with his sleeve. “Let’s get straight to the point today, we have a packed hour and a half. I hope you all did your homework during the weekend because that’s the first thing we’re going to take care of, so find a partner and, well, let’s get down to business” he told his class.  _ Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns. Ha! _ , (y/n) added internally to her teachers sentence. She smiled, trying not to laugh at her own thoughts. (Y/n) sat up from her chair, grabbing all her pencil and math homework so she could check answers with Pidge. After making sure she had all her stuff, (y/n) walked away from her seat, only to crashed into possibly the worst person she could crash into. Nyma. “My god, what the hell! Are you blind or something?” she asked, anger clearly present in her voice. And the look in her eyes scared the (h/c) haired girl to the bone, but (y/n) couldn’t let her know that. She had to be brave like Mrs. Bailarín told her. But it was hard when it was the same girl who knew her greatest fear. “Umm, I, uhh…” (y/n) mumbled, too scared to say anything.  _ What if I make her even madder? What if she does the same thing she did at homecoming? What if she finds a way to do something worse! _ , she thought, fear plain in her eyes. “Oh, (y/n)! There you are!” Pidge exclaimed while squeezing between the two girls, breaking the intense eye contact. The hazel eyed girl turned her head toward the blonde with an annoyed gaze. “Nyma, we’re going to do actual work. So if you don’t mind-”. “You don’t have to tell me twice. It’s not like I wanted to be by you people anyway” Nyma said, swaggering away from them. (Y/n) let out the breath she had been holding inside her lungs, the worry leaving along with it. “Thank you Pidge!” (y/n) exclaimed, hugging her best friend with her free arm. “It’s fine, really. I know you’d do the same for me” Pidge told her, sitting in the empty seat next to hers. (Y/n) sat back down in her seat, setting all her stuff on her desk. Pidge looked at the (h/c) haired girl, a smile spreading on her face. “Hey, you want to know how you should thank me for saving you from a she-demon?” Pidge said, leaning on her desk with her arms crossed. (Y/n) stopped what she was doing and shook her head. “No, what?” she asked. “You should come ice-skating with my family! We do it every year, and it’s always really fun. We play hockey, drink hot chocolate, watch Keith and Lance do dumb pranks to try and look cooler than the other, you’d love it” Pidge said, an excited look in her hazel eyes. (Y/n) looked down at the floor with an unsure look on her face. “I don’t know, this sounds like a family thing. I don’t want to feel like I’m-”. “You won’t be doing anything bad, you’d be having fun! How about this,” Pidge said, adjusting her glasses in a cool manner. (Y/n) turned her whole body to face Pidge and nodded her head, letting Pidge know that she was listening to whatever she’d have to say. “How about I give you time the think about it. It’s not until this weekend, so you don’t have to say yes now. Plus you might have to ask your parents and all that stuff. Deal?” Pidge asked. “Deal” (y/n) said. And the two friends began to get to work on their math homework, checking each other's answers. Pidge got them all right, not that it surprised (y/n) that much. But (y/n) had a few questions wrong. The rest of that day went smoothly, save for her English class with Keith of course. Yearbook turned out not to be that bad. Only half the class had to do debate and the other yearbook. (Y/n) luckily ended up on the yearbook side, where she spent the whole hour learning editing tips, and how to take a picture correctly. She was actually a little sad that the hour had gone by so fast, but she had work to get done at her apartment. (Y/n) quickly walked down the salted sidewalks, wanting to get home as fast as she could. The (h/c) haired girl finally came up to the apartment lobby, enjoying the warm air inside. As she walked closer and closer to her door, (y/n) could hear the familiar sound of her crazy neighbors favorite type of music coming from the other side of the door. Mrs. Bailarín was wiping off the counter with a rag, occasionally singing along to the lyrics of the music that was playing from the radio. She glanced at the clock. “Thirty minutes. Just how long does she want to make me wait!” Mrs. Bailarín said, talking to herself. “Well she needs to hurry her  _ culo _ up!” she said, not knowing if she could be patient much longer. Then, as if on cue, Mrs. Bailarín heard the sound of loud knocking at the door. “Finally!” she exclaimed as she dashed through the kitchen and the living room. Once Mrs. Bailarín reached the door, she through it open to see her teenage neighbor standing in the doorway. “Why hello Mrs. Bailarín. What are you doing here today?” (y/n) asked, a small smile on her face. Mrs. Bailarín smiled back and let her into the room, closing the door behind her. (Y/n) walked into her living room, setting her backpack on the neatly made couch. 

“Oh you know, the usual scenario of me sneaking into your living space, cleaning because I was bored-”

“You’ve snuck inside before?”

“That’s not the point!” Mrs. Bailarín said quickly, dismissing the question completely. “Anyways, I was cleaning because I was bored, and I knew that there would be something to clean here. So first I cleaned the dishes. I was almost done when I got a call from your work saying that they’d need you as soon as you got home” Mrs. Bailarín said, causing (y/n)’s eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates. “ _ What _ !? Which job?!” (y/n) yelled, causing the retired broadway actress the flinch at the sudden change of volume. “The diner I think” Mrs. Bailarín told her. “Why didn’t you tell me that first! Come on,” she said, grabbing Mrs. Bailarín’s hands, running out of her apartment and to her car, where she shoved the old lady into the driver's seat. “Come on, come on! You can have dinner at the restaurant if you want, but just  _ drive _ !” (y/n) pleaded. “Multa! Estoy conduciendo! Ver!” Mrs. Bailarín said, getting irritated at (y/n)’s impatient and eager attitude. “Yes, I see that your driving. Now pay attention to the road!” the (h/c) said. The ride there was quick, thanks to (y/n)’s nagging. Once she walked into the old fifties diner, she could see why they called her in the first place. The place was packed. The waiting line was full, a big crowd of people in the doorway, and every table was filled. It felt like a sardine can that was too full. And that meant that (y/n) had a busy shift full of running around, taking orders, going back and forth, and dealing with, very little to none, rude customers. So when she finally got the chance to take a break, (y/n) took it and sat down in the booth that Mrs. Bailarín was sitting in. “I can’t wait to be done for the night” she said, laying her chin in the palm of her hand, closing her eyes. The retired broadway actress starred at her as if she was examining her or something. “Your thinking about something, I can tell” Mrs. Bailarín said, causing (y/n) to look at her. “What? No, I’m not! if anything I’m tired” (y/n) replied. “No. I have known you long enough to know when your distracted, or making a decision. So tell me, what is it?” Mrs. Bailarín said in a stern voice, but her eyes were what told the teen that there was no way of getting out of this. They could be there all night, and (y/n) didn’t want to spend it arguing with her beloved neighbor. “Fine… I was invited to this family ice skating trip with Pidge, and I don’t think I should go” (y/n) told Mrs. Bailarín. “What? Why? My friends used to invite me to family things all the time. Once, I even got invited to a funeral of a person I had never met in my life” Mrs. Bailarín said. “Well, it’d just feel weird to me. I mean, I’m not exactly family-”. “Don’t you say that! Now you listen to me,” Mrs. Bailarín exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table. “You shouldn’t be saying things like that. Tell me, when's the last time you ever had a chance to do a family event? To have fun, to forget everything and enjoy yourself with people that you love? Never. I know the truth hurts you, but it needs to be said. I don’t care if they aren’t your family, you have a person who views you as someone who should be going to a family event! I wish I had something like that! And if did, I would say yes without thinking! I, I think you deserve that! You deserve to have a day to do stupid stuff and have fun, and whatever else. So, you are going to go to that ice skating trip, and you are going to love it. Entender?” Mrs. Bailarín said, her eyes shining with the tears that she was holding in. (Y/n) wiped her eyes, unable to hold her own tears in. The crazy grandmother figure of hers always did have a way with words, (y/n) blamed it on her years of acting. Well, there was only one option left for her…

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(Y/n) waited outside her building with Mrs. Bailarín, who had a small bag hanging on her arm. The dark brown haired women looked at her teen neighbor with a worried look, just like she had been for the past ten minutes. “You really should be wearing a scarf” Mrs. Bailarín said as she looked through the bag on her shoulder. “Josie, I’m fine. You already made me wear an extra sweater and gloves” (y/n) told her, smiling softly at her. “(Y/n/n), your coat doesn’t look that thick. And your gloves are the three dollar kind from Walmart,” Mrs. Bailarín said. (Y/n) playfully rolled her eyes at Mrs. Bailarín. The coat she was wearing did look thin, far away from a winter coat, but it was actually really warm. The soft material on the inside making it nice and comfortable. 

“But what if it’s not enough and you get cold?”

“I’ll just deal with it”

“What about frostbit?”

“I’m sure Shiro will know what to do. Plus, he’s not the only adult there”

“You are making it difficult to come up with an excuse!”

(Y/n) laughed at her, she couldn’t help it with the way that Mrs. Bailarín was acting. The (h/c) haired girl loved it when her crazy neighbor acted like she was Mother Teresa. The way she looked worried about the simplest things, how she came up with excuses to try and get (y/n) to see things her way, everything. It meant that someone was there for her, that someone loved and cared for her. It meant that someone wanted her to stay safe and come home. So (y/n) was happy that she had a mother hen, she wouldn’t want it any other way. A car honked as it drove down the street, catching (y/n)’s attention. She instantly recognized the car, knowing that her friends were in it. Shiro pulled up the car a little bit away from the apartment building and got out. He walked over to (y/n) and, who he assumed was, Mrs. Bailarín. “Hi Shiro!” (y/n) exclaimed as she waved from where she stood. “Hey, you ready to go?” the scarred man asked, getting an eager nod as a reply. Shiro laughed at how excited she was and motioned her to get into the car. “Ok then, get in the car” he told her. (Y/n) turned to Mrs. Bailarín and gave her a big bug, kissing her on the cheek before grabbing the bag from her arm and running off to join the other kids in the car. Just as Shiro turned around to follow, he heard a voice call from behind him. “Oi! Mr. Shirogane!” Mrs. Bailarín shouted from where she stood. “You can call me Shiro,” the said man said as he walked over to the retired broadway actress. “Is there anything I should know?” he asked. “I want you to know that I don’t trust anyone with that child but me, so what proof do you have that you can actually take care of a child?” the women asked in a criticizing voice, narrowed eyes staring at the man in front of her. “I’ve raised five kids, all who are teenagers right now” Shiro told her. “My god, you poor man” Mrs. Bailarín said, feeling bad for him. She could barely handle one teen sometimes, she couldn’t imagine  _ five _ all the time. “I know,” Shiro said, looked behind him at his car. “If that was all, I hope you have a good day” Shiro told her. “Wait,” she exclaimed, causing Shiro to look at her. “I know this will make me sound ridiculous, but… Just keep her safe for me, ok? My number is in the bag she has if there's an emergency” she said, a worried look on her face. Shiro softly smiled at her, understanding where her heart was as a parent. “Will do. And don't worry, she's in good hands” he said. Meanwhile, (y/n) climbed into the car with a bright smile on her face. “(Y/n)!” Pidge exclaimed from the back. She was sitting next to Keith, who glared at her. The hazel eyed girl looked at her, scooting over so that her friend could sit next to her. (Y/n) sat down in the seat next to the window, the sunlight flooding in through them. “So, where are we going?” she asked in an excited manner. “Allura has some property that has a pond, so we’ll be going there for the day” Lance answered her, a bag of ice skates in his lap. “Ok. Is it hard? Ice skating, I mean” (y/n) said. Lance put his hand on his chin in a thinking position. “At first, but since you seem to have good balance, so you’ll do fine” Lance told her, trying to encourage his friend. “If this is based on balance, then I’m out of luck” (y/n) told them, looking down at her lap. Keith scoffed at her, looking out the car window. “You should have thought about that, then maybe you wouldn’t have come” he said in a hurtful tone, his voice full of venom. (Y/n) narrowed her eyes at him. “Well at least I was asked to be here, they had to bring you” (Y/n) said in a snarky voice, putting a calm smile on and looking out the window. “What did you say!?” Keith asked, glaring at her with wide eyes, looking livid. “Oh no…” Hunk said, a worried expression on his face. “Ok kids lets go!” Shiro said as he sat in the driver's seat. He looked back at the scene behind him. Keith was being held back by Lance, Hunk, and Pidge all together, while (y/n) peacefully sat in her seat looking out the window. “Woah, what did I miss?” Shiro asked. “Nothing, it’s all great, just drive!” Hunk told him. “Ok, next stop, ice skating” Shiro told them as he started driving down the street.


	21. Chapter 21

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"We're here!" Shiro called out to the group of teens in the back. (Y/n) was the first one to get out of the car, almost falling onto the fluffy snow-covered ground in the process. The rest piled out, all looking at it properly and taking it all in. It was big clearing that was outlined by tall maple trees, with a large frozen pond in the middle of it all that held a small island. The island itself was ten times smaller than the pond but had more than enough room for the fifteen-foot pine tree on the edge of it. "Well, are you guys just gonna stand there or what?" a familiar voice said. Everyone turned their heads to see Allura standing in front of her car, and next to her was a bundled up Coran. "Hey Allura, thanks again" Shiro said, walking next to her and the ginger. Allura had on a thick white and pink winter coat, her white hair in a high bun. "You really shouldn't thank me, we've been coming here almost every winter for the past three years!" she told him, watching the group of teens put on their ice skates. She looked at each of them and noticed a certain (h/c) haired teen among them. "I see you brought (y/n) along, that was kind" Allura said as all of the kids started to go onto the ice. "Yeah, Pidge invited her. (Y/n) said that this was her first time, so I'm kinda interested to see how it goes" Shiro said while crossing his arms with a slight smile. Coran blissfully sighed, placing his hands gently on his hips. "I remember my first time. I was a scrawny little grasshopper, and I was so excited to get out on the ice on my grandfather's pond. I barely made it ten feet before I realized that I accidentally tied the laces together. I had a bloody nose and a black eye for the rest of the day. Good times, good times…" Coran told them. Allura and Shiro gave him a strange look, not really knowing how to respond to the story. "Well, I don't think that'll happen to (y/n). I least I hope it doesn't" Shiro said. "Hey! Are you three going to skate or what! Or are you all too scared!" Lance yelled from the pond, a smirk on his face. Shiro put on a confident and determined face, knowing that Lance was baiting him on. "Oh, you wait and see Lance! Just wait! I gotta go and teach him a lesson!" Shiro exclaimed, running as fast as he could. "Hey, Shiro! Wait up! I have a score to settle with him too!" Allura shouted, running after the scarred man. Coran widened his eyes before running after them also. "What am I? Chop Liver!? Wait up for me too!" he yelled. Pidge looked at (y/n) as she stood at the very edge before the ice. Her friend was nervous, that much was obvious. What with the way her knees were shaking, and her eyes stared at the ice as if it was a sea of scary monsters that hid in children's closets. "(Y/n), it's not that hard," she said as she skated across the ice, pacing back and forth gracefully. "See? Plus, you don't have to be perfect" Pidge told her. "Fine!" (Y/n) exclaimed, glaring at the hazel eyed girl. (Y/n) looked at the ice while taking a breath. _Pidge is right, I don't have to be perfect. Plus, what do I got to lose if I'm_ _horrible?,_ she thought, taking her first step on the frozen water. (Y/n) stood perfectly still, while both of her feet were slightly sliding forward. It was like roller skating, only on ice, and she had blades instead of wheels. "Huh, this isn't so bad" she said, moving her foot behind her, getting ready to push herself forward. "I don't get why I was so- ahhhh!". "Move over" Keith said, pushing (y/n) forward, causing her to crash into Pidge, both of them falling onto the ice in a pile of limbs. "Ugh" Pidge groaned as she sat up. "I am so sorry Pidge!" (y/n) told her friend, standing up and offering her hand to help Pidge up. Pidge took it, heaving herself up, and dusting the snow off of her. "Don't worry, IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT WE FELL!" Pidge shouted, turning to look at Keith as he picked up a hockey stick with smirk on his face. Keith turned to face his younger sister, pointing at himself. "YEAH, YOU!" Pidge shouted again, her glasses falling down her nose. "It was an accident!" Keith yelled back, joining Lance and Hunk in a hockey game. "He pisses me off sometimes!" Pidge exclaimed to (y/n), who patted her on the back. "I feel your pain, believe me," she said, sympathizing with Pidge. "Now, can you help me?" (y/n) asked as she looked down at her feet, which were automatically sliding forward again. "Oh, sorry. Yeah, let me help you" Pidge said, slowly keeping up with the (h/c) haired teen. "Ok, so you've roller skated before, right?" Pidge asked, (y/n) nodding her head in response. "Well, it's kinda like that! Ok, so push off your foot" Pidge said. (Y/n) placed her right foot behind her, and pushed off of it. She didn't know what went wrong, but she came crashing down. Her foot flew behind her, causing her to lose her balance, and fall, quite painfully, flat on her stomach. "Ow" she said, getting up and sitting on her knees. Pidge sighed and pinched her nose, just like Shiro did. The likeness was uncanny. "Boy do I have my work cut out for me" she mumbled, slowly shaking her head back and forth. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Pidge! Come on!" (y/n) exclaimed as she skated across the ice, a huge and happy smile on her face. Her fingers were frozen, her ears felt like they had fallen off, and her nose was a bit runny from the cold air, but she didn't care. The fun she was having was enough to keep her warm on the inside. Pidge had taught her well, although it may have taken most of the day. But she was able to turn her friend from a falling, arms flailing, skater to a decent skater. (Y/n) was gliding gracefully, almost as if she was floating on air... until she tripped and fell on her knees. Pidge, snorted, trying to hold back her laughter back from, her eyes filling up with tears in the process. She was decent, but not perfect. "Stop it, it's not funny!" the (h/c) haired girl whined, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Your right, it's hilarious" Keith told her as he slid the hockey puck into the small goal. Lance's once happy determined face contorted into a face full of anger. Keith had won again. It wasn't fair to him, he only had Hunk while the temperamental hothead got Shiro and Coran on his team! "That wasn't legal in the sport of hockey!" Lance cried, almost resembling a two-year-old that didn't get their way in a board game. Over in the middle of the game setting, Allura, the referee, smiled while shaking her head. She had been dealing with this since they started playing hockey. They have had three rematches so far thanks to Lance. "Lance, for the last time, no one on the opposite team cheated," Allura told him, skating over and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Face it, you just aren't what you were last year. Last year, you had a really good team, but now your short one" Allura said. Lance looked down at the ground. _Shit, she's right. I knew I was short one person, but I thought I could pull_ _in some double duty and be enough! Guess not. Wait! If all I need is one person, there are two_ _other people available! But based on their skating skills, the two of them combined only count as one_ _person… Oh well_, Lance thought. His head shot up, looking for Pidge and (y/n). "Pause game!" Lance yelled, skating over to the two girls once he found them. "Pidge! (Y/n)!" Lance called. (Y/n) and Pidge turned their heads towards the blue eyed boy skating over to them. "It's an emergency! I need one of you to play hockey with me so that I can finally beat Keith in this dumb sport!" Lance said in one quick, swift breath. Pidge nodded her head. "Well Lance, there's only one thing to do," Pidge said. And no sooner had she said those words did Pidge pat her friend on the back with an apologetic look on her face. (Y/n) nodded her head with a smile on her face, not knowing what her hazel eyed friend had planned. "I offer (y/n) as a sacrifice" Pidge said quickly, skating away as fast as she could to Allura. "What?!" (y/n) exclaimed, her eyes widening. Lance pumped his fist into the air as he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards his team's goal. "Yes! This is going to be awesome!" Lance yelled, picking up an extra hockey stick from the large duffle bag on the ice and shoving it into (y/n)'s hands. "No, Lance, I can't do this. I just learned to skate, I can't play hockey, I don't even know _how_ to play-". "It's easy, just try to score a point by shoving the puck into their goal. Piece of cake! But a word of advice, don't be scared to shove Shiro or Keith" Lance said, pushing her forward into the "rink". (Y/n) was in no way aggressive, unless she was pushed into defending herself. And she didn't even have hockey skates on! They were figure skates for crying out loud! But Lance really needed help, she knew that. And she couldn't live with herself if she quit now… (Y/n) sighed and turned towards the blue eyed teen. "Lance McClain, are you sure I can do this?" she asked him. Lance nodded his head with a sly smile on his tan face. "By the time this games done, you'll make figure skates look like a murder weapon" Lance said confidently. "Alright then, let's do this" (y/n) said, a competitive look on her face. If Lance had faith, she could do this. _Don't be scared to push, got it_, she thought while gripping her stick and positioning her feet like how Pidge taught her earlier that day. Allura watched all of the players on the ice take a stance, their sticks on the ground and ready to strike. The puck was in the middle, Lance and Keith right in front of the other. Coran and Hunk were goalies while Shiro and (y/n) were a bit behind their captains, ready to take action. The white haired women raised the pink plastic whistle to her lips, and blew into it loud and clear, resulting in a long, high pitched sound. Keith was quick to react, instantly sliding the puck to Shiro, who caught it with his hockey stick. What happened next seemed to unravel in slow motion. Shiro was shoved, hard, to the ground. He and the shover bounced off of each other, sliding opposite ways on the ice. No one believed their eyes, it was (y/n)... _(Y/n)_ had just shoved _Shiro_ to the ground in _mere_ seconds. Now Shiro was a tall and well built man, and an experienced ice skater. And he was pushed by a teenager who was two thirds of his height, and she had just learned to ice skate today. (Y/n) got up, not noticing the silence or bewildered looks on everyone's faces. She just stood up, their eyes following her dumbfoundedly as she moderately guided the puck into the goal. "I did it Lance! I scored a goal!" (y/n) cried, until she saw the looks on their faces. "What?" she asked. Her question seemed to snap everyone out of their states. Keith shook his head, focusing on the matter at hand. "Nothing. Just bring the puck back over" he ordered her. (Y/n) did so with a bright smile on her face. Allura once again blew the whistle, and Lance passed to (y/n), who skated quickly towards the goal, only to be pushed by Keith to the ice. (Y/n) crashed into the ice, and glared at Keith. The coal haired boy stole the puck, Shiro shoving Lance out of the way so Keith could try to score past Hunk. Keith narrowed his eyes with a smile as he swung his stick at the puck, making it fly past Hunk, who was practically a centimeter away from blocking it. Allura blew her whistle, and everyone got up and took their positions. "I bet your feeling the burn Keith, the threat to your team's victory. Because my team will destroy yours" Lance said with a smirk on his face, Keith had the same smirk on his face. It told everyone that he was finally having fun. "With you as their captain, I almost feel sorry for them. Between the glass cannon and the gentle goalie, I'd say they're better than two of you" Keith shot back. "Knock it off guys, let's settle this in the game" Shiro said in a sly tone. "And… Go!" Pidge shouted. Lance shoved his brother forward, tackling him to the ice so that (y/n) could take the puck. But as she skated closer to Coran, Shiro gained on her. But before he could take the puck, she gave him a little push that caused him to lag. And she swung her hockey stick, the puck shooting towards the goal, only to be blocked by Coran, but (y/n) swung as it came back to her and she scored another goal. The game continued throughout the course of a few hours. And soon Coran and Allura switched places do to his back. There was laughing, and smiles, and jokes. Even when the sun was almost consumed by the trees and, the sky was a vibrant set of orange and pink, and the temperature drops by twenty degrees, they had no intention of stopping the game. Pidge was at the side by Coran, keeping score by scratching the ice with a rock she had found, and the game was evenly matched. Forty-two to forty-two. Keith stole the puck from Lance, shoving him aside so he could try and get a clear path towards Hunk. "(Y/n)! Help out Hunk!" Lance shouted as he watched (y/n) nodded and zoomed towards Keith. Shiro saw her and tried to skate over and stop her, but was stopped by Lance. It was up to her now. "Come on (y/n)! You can do it!" Hunk screamed, cupping his mouth with her hands. The (h/c) haired girl skated in front of Keith, causing him to crash into her, but neither were going to back down. So they both stood there, pushing their hockey sticks against each others like swords, with the puck in between them. Keith growled, seeming to be baring his teeth.

"This is where I beat you, here and now!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"As sure as hell!"

"Well me too! I'm going to win this game!"

"I'd love to see that!" 

Keith glared at her. He looked around, trying to look for anything he could use to get out of this position and score to prove her wrong. His eyes rested on her feet, they were shaking from the pressure of pushing against him. (Y/n) was a glass cannon, she could deal a lot of damage but couldn't receive much in return, so she was being challenged enough as it was. Keith smirked, confusing her. Before she could even think, (y/n) was forcibly pushed on to the ice, like she was slammed into it by an unknown force from the sky. And then there was a sound that scared that make the game stop and freeze with a look of horror on their faces. What was actually a scratchy quiet sound, was like a gunshot that was right next to them. (Y/n) stayed as still as she could on her knees. Her hands were frozen to the ice, and the freezing cold water brushing over them didn't ease her fear at all. (Y/n), against her better judgment, dared to look down and her shaking hands. The ice was cracked clean through. (Y/n) watched the water leak through to the surface. Shiro watched her carefully, like if he even dared looked at her, she would fall through and never be found. "(Y/n) slowly stand, slowly I said," Shiro told her, worry and fear in his voice. "The rest of you, slowly make your way back to the shore, now! Allura, get the kids to the car" Shiro ordered. "Come on guys, Keith! Be careful! Your closest to her, go extra slow" Allura scolded him, but everyone could see the horror in her eyes. (Y/n), slowly stood up, looking like a child trying to take their first steps. Her legs shook, and she held her arms out for balance. As she stood up, the ice cracked more under her weight. "Calm down, and breath," Shiro said, taking a short step towards her. "Good. Now slowly and carefully, take a step forward" he told her softly. (Y/n) took a breath, scared of what would happen if she moved. But she looked at Shiro and lifted her foot to step forward. It all happened so fast, she didn't even see it happen. One second she was standing on the ice, the sun on her eyes, and now she was thrown into a dark green word. (Y/n) had fallen through the ice. Time was as frozen as the ice above her. She couldn't move, (y/n) felt as if she was paralyzed, but she could feel herself floating downward. And her skin was so frozen that it felt like she was being burned alive. There was distant noise above her, but it was quiet. Using the last of whatever strength she had, she opened her eyes to briefly see a bright light before her world went dark. Then suddenly, (y/n) was hastily jerked up by her coat collar. And the next thing she knew was the winter air hitting her wet face. She was thrown to the edge of the ice with her bottom half still in the water and coughed, breathing in the oxygen. "(Y/n)! You're ok!" she heard a voice yell as her hearing came back. She opened her eyes and her sight began to focus, showing her the image of Shiro right in front of her. She set her head on the ice and looked over to the side. She couldn't believe her eyes. Keith was right next to her, just as wet as she was, shivering.  _ He jumped in to save me _ , she thought. Keith could feel his temperature go down ten degrees each second he stayed there, but his legs were numb, a stinging sensation within them. He tried to push himself up, but his arms were like jello. He felt someone lift him up, and the air hit his legs like a meteor. He opened his eyes to see Coran holding him up. "You alright Keith?" he asked. "Y-yeah, I'm f-f-fine" he said his voice shaking. He could see (y/n) limply being pulled out of the water by Allura. "Kids! Get in the car! Allura, Coran, you guys take these two. You car warms up faster, and remind me of this the next Lance and Hunk whines about blankets!" Shiro told them. "Got it, now you go, we got them in good hands we'll meet you at your house" Coran told him. Shiro nodded his head and ran as fast as he could to the car. "You two, come on" the ginger told them, pulling Keith towards Allura's car. The drive home was faster than it actually seemed to Keith, like in big blur. But he could see that (y/n) was having a hard time keeping her eyes open as she sat there, hugging herself while shivering. He was more than relieved when he could finally see his house, and was rushed inside immediately along with (y/n). Once they were both inside, Shiro made them dry off and change their clothes. (Y/n) once again borrowed Pidge's, not that anyone cared. Then they were then rushed downstairs, where they were wrapped up in blankets, and sat next to each other side by side. The living room was a sauna with all the heaters in it. (Y/n) and Keith were shivering violently, their teeth chattering. "Ok, I've called Josie. She said something I couldn't understand, but I think she's worried and might want me dead," Shiro said, shoving his phone into his pocket. "I know some is already coming for you (y/n), but this something I  _ need _ to tell your parents. Where are they?" Shiro asked, a stern look in his eyes. "I-I-I-I-I, umm…" (y/n) stuttered, her chattering teeth not helping. "(Y/n)," Shiro said again, this time having (y/n) look at him the eyes. "What are their phone numbers if you don't know where they are?" he asked. "I-I don't know" she said softly. "(Y/n), I need to tell them, they'll be worried sick-". "That's the thing Shiro," (y/n) said, cutting him off. "They won't care one bit… I don't know where they are, or how to contact them! They know where I am, but they travel so much! I can't ever find them! I tried for a long time, but they want nothing to do with me! Got it! N-not everyone has parents with them all the t-time, o-or siblings, or aunts and u-uncles! Not everyone…" she cried, tears running down her cheeks. She hid her face into her in the blanket, not wanting to see the looks she knew they'd be giving her. After a few moments, she felt multiply arms surround her, making her cry harder.

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Keith put his head back on the couch, trying to fall asleep. He would be asleep right now if it wasn't for (y/n). It was around three AM, and he wanted to fall asleep and be better in the morning. But the (h/c) haired teen was quietly humming "You Are My Sunshine" over and over again. "Would you stop that!" he yell whispered. "Why?" she whispered back. "Because it's driving me crazy" he whispered in a deadly tone. "Good, gives me more purpose to do it" she said, resuming her place in the song. Keith groaned into the blanket. She must have had a death wish or something. 

"You know, you'd think that you'd be a bit nicer to me since I saved your ass from freezing at the bottom of a lake!"

"Pond"

"Whatever"

"..."

"..."

"That's why I'm not falling asleep though…"

Keith's eyes widened, looking at her. _What does she mean by that?_, he thought. "Huh?" he said. "If you hadn't saved me, I'd be dead right now. I'm not that strong. I would have drowned and died. That's why I'm scared to sleep," she said, avoiding his grayish purple eyes. "I'm freezing cold, and I'm scared that if I go to sleep, I won't wake up. That I'll die of hypothermia" she said, tearing up. Keith stared at her in bewilderment. "You know, I may hate you to the bone, but I'm not going to let someone just die. And someone else would have jumped in," he told her with a smile. "So don't you worry, ok?" he told her. (Y/n) smiled and closed her eyes, a tear slipping, down her face. "Ok, I won't!" she said, wiping her face off with her hand. She looked at Keith with a thankful look. She had never seen him smile, or at least at her anyways. "Hey, can we start over?" she asked him, surprising him. Start over? What did she mean by that? (Y/n) sat up and held out her hand for him to shake. "Hi, I'm (y/n) (l/n). I can be really annoying and clumsy, and I have three jobs! Wanna be friends?" she asked, a smile on her face. Keith stared at her like she was a psychopath. _What's wrong? Is he still mad at me? Does he think this is a joke of_ _some kind?_, she thought worriedly. Keith grabbed her hand in a tight grip, shaking it. "Nice to meet you (y/n), I'm Keith Kogane and I can be a dick sometimes. I'm a hothead mechanic with a problem for starting useless fights. Yeah, I think it'd be cool to be your friend"


	22. Chapter 22

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith walked into English class, not a single feeling of annoyance or loathing. The weekend had gone by fast since he and (y/n) had become friends. After he and the (h/c) haired girl fell asleep on the couch, they were both woken in the early hour of the morning by her crazy grandmother figure, Mrs. Bailarín. And her very, very loud voice had woken up the whole house. It didn’t help that she was pissed off at Shiro. He was yelled at about how he should have made extra precautions and other things that the group of teens hadn’t bothered to listen to. Keith and his brothers and sister were to busy teasing (y/n) about her neighbor. She had said that Mrs. Bailarín was just worried on her behalf, and was only yelling because she cared. But the four siblings could tell that she was embarrassed by Mrs. Bailarín actions, there was no denying it. But they sadly didn’t get to tease her for long before she was quickly pulled out of their house, and off to her apartment. And so she had to apologize to Shiro in first hour for her neighbor, who was too proud to admit that she had overreacted and probably shouldn’t have yelled at him. (Y/n) was already sitting in her spot, reading her book. Keith sat down in his seat, turning his head towards her. She read that book an awful lot. She must have read that book a thousand times by now, Keith thought. The coal haired boy looked around to see if anyone was, by any chance, looking his way. Everyone in the room was talking to the person next to them. Knowing that he wasn’t being watched, Keith slid his chair to the one next to (y/n). She hadn’t even noticed him yet. “Man, you must be a really focused reader” Keith said, startling her. “Keith, don’t do that! It’s bad enough Pidge does it, I don’t need you scaring me too,” she joked, setting her book down in front of her. Keith smirked at her reaction, finding it funny. “So, how was your weekend?” she asked. “Well, Mrs. Bailarín made Shiro fell kinda bad, but we told him that she was dramatic about everything” Keith told her. “I’m really sorry about that” she said, nervously scratching the back of her neck. “No problem. He’s handled worst things than an angry old lady-”. “She’s not old Keith! Just… seasoned?” she said while sounding unsure. “Was that a question or an answer?” Keith asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Umm, an answer?” she said in the same voice. “Stop doing that, it’s either an answer or a question, so which is it?” Keith told her, a little bit irritated. “Alright, fine! She’s old, but she can still do the splits surprisingly good for her age, and she’s pretty healthy” (y/n) told him, defending her neighbor. “Mmmhmm” Keith replied. “All right class, pay attention!” the teacher called out, gaining the attention of her classroom. She smiled, glad that they all listened on the first try. “Today will be strictly work time. You will have the entire hour to create a three page character analysis from the book we’ve been reading,” she explained as she placed a paper in front of her students as she passed them. “Are there any questions before you may continue?” she asked. Two students raised their hands. One was a boy with shaggy dirty blonde hair and pale skin, the other a girl with black hair and chocolate colored skin. “Yes?” the teacher said. “Yeah, so can we work with partners?” the boy asked. “Yes you may, but stay on task, and you?” she said, pointing at the girl. “What about music?” she asked. “Mmmmm, sure. Why not” the teacher said as she walked back to her computer, going to Pandora to put on the usual playlist she chose for her classes. Keith wrote down his name on the top of the paper and started to get working. As he started to write down information, (y/n) looked at him. “Hey, Keith, do you want to be partners?” she asked him. Keith looked at her with a bored expression. The coal haired boy was in no way a partner person. They were either pissed off at him or intimidated by his dangerous aura that seemed to follow him like a plague. But working with someone else couldn’t be that hard, could it? “Fine. So what character are we doing?” he asked. “The murder” she replied casually.

  


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Mrs. Bailarín walked around her apartment, cleaning her apartment. She cleaned when she was stressed, and boy was stressed. She had just come back from a doctors appointment, and the results were less than satisfying.  _ More medicine, more medicine I have to take. It’s like I’m a legal druggie now! _ , Mrs. Bailarín thought irritatedly. She knew that she needed them in order to live, but she didn’t like it. It was more that was added to her plate. And the pressure of almost dying if she didn’t take them was starting to get to her. The retired broadway actress angrily muttered to herself as she swept her already clean floor. “I can’t believe it. I was healthy my whole life and now I’m having heart problems, ridiculous,” she said to herself. “Next thing you know I’ll be stuck to a machine in a hospital” she said, and stopped all of a sudden. “Oh no, you're talking to yourself again Josie…” Mrs. Bailarín said, staring at the wall. Could she be going crazy? No, she couldn’t be. She was perfectly sane. Not an insane bone in her… For the most part anyway. Mrs. Bailarín sighed, putting the broom back into her supply closet. She checked the time. It was about lunchtime for her, which meant she had to take her pills. The retired broadway actress walked over to her kitchen, turning on some music, playing a CD of her favorite songs she had learned from her grandmother. She sighed loudly, the sound echoing off of her walls as she cooked, spices flying everywhere when she threw her hand back, recreating a dramatic pose while hitting a high note. It all ended to quick, in her opinion. But for the close next door neighbors, it was like the apocalypse had ended. Mrs. Bailarín placed the dish on her table, and sat down in her seat. Next to her plate was a glass of water and a weekly pill container. She ate in silence, save for the music playing in the background. After she as done with her lunch, Mrs. Bailarín glared at her pills. She knew she had to take them and wouldn’t disagree with that logic. She flipped open a weekday pocket lid, and emptied it. There were four pills that sat in the palm of her hand. With her other hand, she lifted the glass of water. Then, she took all the pills one at a time, taking a sip of water each time. She sat in her seat for a few seconds, listening to the music in the background. It was quiet until a small knock came from the door. “Mrs. Bailarín! It’s me!” (y/n) called from outside the door. She smiled brightly as she heard footsteps from the other side, come closer. (Y/n) may have had her spare keys, but she still wanted to be allowed inside instead of just barging in, unlike Mrs. Bailarín herself. Mrs. Bailarín opened the door and let her in. “I had to apologize to Shiro for you today. I still can’t believe that you said all those mean things to him since you know that it’s not his fault I fell through the ice” (y/n) told her, setting her backpack on the couch. “I told you, he was the adult, so whatever happened there was his responsibility!” Mrs. Bailarín said dramatically. “Know what, I won’t argue with you. It’ll get me nowhere” the (h/c) haired girl said, sitting at the breakfast bar that was in the crazy lady’s kitchen. Mrs. Bailarín smiled victoriously, knowing she technically won. “I know, it’s a good thing to know. So, what happened at school today?” she asked (y/n). “It was a lot better than it usually was now that me and Keith are friends” (y/n) answered. “I don’t want to know about that boring mierda! I was to know about the gossip stuff. Like who cheated on who, why she slapped a guy, stuff like that” Mrs. Bailarín told her with a sparkle in her eyes. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at her neighbor's words, searching her mind for whatever gossipy info she had. (Y/n) wasn’t a social outcast, but she wasn’t very outgoing. She can’t remember the last time she had a group of kids her age to talk to. Only Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge, and they weren’t really a gossipy group.  _ I take that back. Lance is, with all the girls he flirts with. He’s always up for a good rumor or something _ , she thought. “Mmm, nothing’s coming up- Oh wait! I heard we’re going to get a new student!” she exclaimed, recalling the information she learned from her yearbook/debate class.

  


“That’s not exciting. I’m talking about soap opera kind of gossip!” 

  


“But it’s where he’s coming from that makes it a big deal”

  


“Alright, I’m listening” 

  


“I heard that he’s a former Galra student, but won’t be admitted into the school for a while”

  


“Well I’ll admit, that's more interesting, but not enough. Cough it all up girl”

  


“I think he’s the principal's son too”


	23. Chapter 23

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) was sitting on the couch in her apartment, reading a book while a warm mug of hot chocolate was on the small table near her. She had woken up a few hours ago due to a phone call from the high school, saying that due to the icy roads they had a snow day. She was excited about the news, and to celebrate it she went back to sleep, waking up three hours later. Since it was quiet at her place, her morning was relaxing. Josie would be out shopping the whole day, getting food and Christmas decorations for her own apartment. (Y/n) set down the leftovers that she had gotten from the dinner next to her hot chocolate, picked up her book and opened it to the bookmarked page. She couldn’t have been reading for five minutes before she got a call. Groaning at her phone, she grudgingly answered it. 

“Hello? (L/n) residence”

“(Y/n)? It’s Mandy from the thrift store. You know, your boss”

“Yeah, what do you need?”

“I know your school days canceled, but that doesn’t mean that works canceled. Three kids have already skipped work, so you’ll have to step in for an hour longer than usual. Sorry”

“It’s alright, nothing to cry over. But do I still start my shift at the same time or a different one?”

“Just come in at the normal time, ok?”

“Sure thing! Bye”

“See you later (y/n)”

Mandy hung up on the other line, leaving the room in silence again. She couldn’t believe it, the first snow day, and she had to work longer than normal because some stupid coworkers had the great idea of forgetting their job! She wasn’t mad, but it still irritated her. The (e/c) eyed teen looked down at her book. She suddenly didn’t want to read anymore, she wanted to do something. Something fun. Then, an idea struck her mind, causing her to smile wide. She reached for her phone, instantly dialing a number she had practically mesmerized by now. Meanwhile, Pidge was sitting at the table in the kitchen, eating toast. Lance was sitting next to her, eating a bowl of cereal while trying not to ruin the green mud mask that was all over his face. Hunk was sitting across from them, using all his might not to burst out laughing at Lance. Keith was in his garage, saying he was connecting all of the heaters so that he wouldn’t freeze to death in there. But they all knew he was doing his homework that he had neglected yesterday. And Shiro was watching TV in the living room, drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper. Lance looked at Hunk, who was almost crying. “Hunk, seriously? It’s not even that funny. I mean, I have a mud mask on almost every day” Lance said, annoyed at his brother's attitude. “I-I’m sorry, its just one of those things that never get old” Hunk said smiling. Lance shook his head slowly at him. Pidge picked up her plate, walking towards the sink, setting her plate in it. The hazel eyed girl was just about to go up to her room when her phone buzzed in her pants pocket. Her hands brushed against the soft fabric as she pulled her phone out. When she looked at the screen, all she saw as a hazy, blurry, unreadable image with a number under it.  _ Damn, my glasses!, _ she thought, internally groaning and scolding herself. She turned to Hunk, showing him the screen. “Hunk, what the hell does this say?” she asked him. “Language Pidge!” Shiro shouted from the other room, which caused Lance and Hunk to laugh quietly. “Fine, Hunk, what the  _ quiznack _ does this say?” she asked again while emphasizing the word “quiznack”. Hunk looked at the screen before he smiled excitedly. “It’s (y/n)! Hurry up, answer before she hangs up!” he said, his dark brown eyes sparkling. Pidge pressed the blurry green call button and brought it up to her ear. 

“Hey (y/n)!” 

“Hi Pidge, how are you guys doing?”

“Great. So, why did you call? Is everything ok?”

“No, everything fine. I was just wondering if you guys wanted to do something fun today?”

“Sure, no problem. Come over to my house as soon as you can. We have nothing planned today, and have a whole bunch of snow stuff in Keith’s garage”

“Sounds great, I’ll be there”

“Bye!”

“See you soon”

Pidge hung up on her friend and set her phone on the table. “Yes!” she exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. “What did she say?” Hunk asked her. “She’s coming over today so we can all play in the snow!” she exclaimed. Lance looked at them with a bored face. “Umm aren’t we all too old for that?” he asked them. The whole kitchen went silent. And Lance could have sworn he heard a snowflake hit the window. Then, all three of them burst out laughing, as if Lance was the greatest comedian in history. “Hahaha! Good one Lance!” Hunk said, calming down. Lance smirked. “Well, I am tremendously funny” he replied. 

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(Y/n) knocked on the doors of her friend’s house. It had stopped snowing while she was walking in her way there. The (h/c) haired teen was wearing her warmest jacket, a hat, scarf and a pair of gloves, not wanting to be the slightest bit cold today. Her nose was pink and a bit runny from walking in the icy air, but ok. Shiro opened the door, letting her in. “Hey (y/n), how are you doing?” he asked, closing the door behind her. “I’m fine, thanks. SO, what have you guys been doing so far?” she said. “Not much really” the scared man told her, sitting back in his comfy spot on the couch. The, they both heard three pairs of footsteps making their way downstairs. And there, standing in front of her, were Hunk, Lance, and Pidge. They were all wearing thick coats, hats, and gloves in their favorite colors. Lance was blue, Hunk yellow, and Pidge in green. “Hey (y/n)! Looking nice as always” Lance said in a flirty, but still friendly, kind of voice. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at his attitude. She wasn’t even wearing anything that nice. Only her usual winter clothes. “Thanks, Lance” (y/n) said. “Well, come on. We have to stop in Keith’s garage so we can get all of the snow stuff,” Pidge said, stepping outside, her best friend and brothers following her. Pidge walked up to the door at the side of the garage, knocking on it loudly. “So you guys said that this whole garage is Keith’s. How can he have this whole thing to himself?” (y/n) asked Lance, who was right next to her. “Well, Shiro gave this to Keith for his birthday. That was around the time that the mullet started to work on cars” Lance explained to her. The (h/c) haired girl nodded her head as the door opened, revealing Keith in the doorway. The group outside could feel the heat radiating from inside. “Hey guys, what do you need?” the coal haired teen asked them. Hunk stepped forward, trying to get closer to the warmth of the garage. “We need the snow stuff man. They should be in there” he told Keith. Keith looked behind his shoulder, looking through the shelves until he saw a box labeled “SNOW EQUIPMENT” written in thick black marker ink. Keith turned his head back towards the group. “Yep, right on the top shelf. Come on in” he said as he walked away, leaving the door open for the last person to close. They followed him in, instantly feeling the air inside. (Y/n) looked around the garage. Like many garages, the floor was a smoothed over concrete, and the wall was made up of a normal standard drywall. Along the wall that was by the door was a desk, which held a computer, a small speaker, and a cup of pencils. Next to it was something like a bed made out of wooden boards, a mattress, and a couple of blankets and a pillow. On the other wall was a bunch of shelves, which held a load of boxes. Including the one that Keith was currently trying to bring down. The hothead was standing in a rolly chair, which was being kept in place by Hunk, and was pulling the large box towards him. He set it down on the floor, jumping down from the chair. They all crowded around the box. Lance opened it first, a big smile on his face. Inside were a bunch of snow toys that the sibling hasn’t played with since last year. They were a bit beat up but in good condition. “Woah, I can’t believe we still have this!” Lance exclaimed as he pulled out a gray snowball launcher. “I remember that! You shot a snowball at Keith the first time you got it. And them Keith stuck your head in the snow like an ostrich” Pidge said. “Well, what are we waiting for, come on!” Lance said, grabbing as many toys as he could and ran to the backyard.


	24. Chapter 24

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) sat in a chair in front of a computer, her foot tapping furiously on the floor. She was currently in her sixth hour, the computer screen black after not being used for a long time. The room was filled with other students chatting away to their friends, or working on last-minute work. But not (y/n). No, she already had everything done. She had finished editing her pictures long before anyone else in her class and had finished every single piece of homework she had, which said a lot since she had almost three pages from each class. But she managed it. And now she was stuck sitting in her yearbook/debate class, watching the clock hand agonizingly tick as each second passed. (Y/n) groaned, setting her elbows on the table. Her hand extended, her fingers drumming against the table as fast as lightning, sounding like a drum roll before a big announcement. She looked away from the clock, trying to find something to distract herself so she wouldn’t focus on the time. It wasn’t working so far, and she was too excited to wait. (Y/n) had been waiting for this ever since the school year had started, and it was so close but still so far. It sounded cliche or even a bit cheesy when she said it in her head, like one of Lance’s pickup lines when he flirted with the girls in the cafeteria. But it was her honest feelings on the matter.  _ Why can’t that damn clock move any quiznaking faster! _ , she screamed internally. Her eyes widened, and her fingers froze at her own internal dialogue. She had just said “quiznack” in her head.  _ I’ve been hanging out with Keith way too much _ , she thought, her fingers resuming their drumming. But she couldn’t help but smile a little bit. It was the truth. Ever since she and the rebel became friends, they’ve been hanging out more. She even came over to his house just to play video games. They had even dragged unwanted attention to themselves, which is how his three siblings had placed bets on them. She had lost every game to him that day, which meant that Lance was broke for a while. Then she finally heard the most heavenly sound she had ever heard in her life. The last bell of the day had rung, signaling that she was free. “Yes!” (y/n) exclaimed as she jumped from her seat, grabbing all of her stuff and headed out the door. She ran out of the computer lab, speeding through the halls like a pinball ball. She dodged every student she passed in an oddly graceful way. (Y/n) ran down the crowded hallway, finding her locker with ease. She put in her combination, the locker swinging open. She hastily grabbed her jacket, putting it on. “Slow down (y/n), Christmas break lasts until the second week of January” a familiar sarcastic voice said. (Y/n) turned her head to see Keith standing next to her. They both failed to see the other kids quickly rushing out of the area, wanting to get away from the coal haired rebel. He was wearing an extra coat since the weather was a complete white out almost every day. “I know, but I’m excited! So at work, we’re going to-”. “Wait, you’re working during theholidays?” Keith asked, raising his eyebrow. (Y/n) shoved all her school stuff into her backpack, zipping the bag as far as it could. “Well, I have to afford everyone’s gifts somehow. I even decided to work a couple of extra hours during the week!” she said with a bright smile on her face, swinging her backpack over her shoulder and heading towards the high schools front doors. Keith followed her, wanting to keep up with her. “I swear, your the only person I know who’s whole heartily willing to work just to go Christmas shopping. Even Shiro wouldn’t do that, and he’s, well… Shiro! Besides… even you deserve to have the holidays off” Keith said to her, opening the door. (Y/n) could tell he was being honest, and genuine. And it made her even more happy hearing that from him of all people. It was lightly snowing outside, the gently snowflakes landing on the five-inch layer of snow on the ground. He saw his brothers and sister waiting by the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for Shiro’s car. “So? I like my job. And I bet it’ll be worth it. Bye!” she said excitedly, walking off across the street while waving him goodbye. Keith lazily waved back, letting out his breath. He watched he frosty breath escape from his lips and stood there until it disappeared. The coal haired teen walked towards his family. Hunk turned to see Keith standing next to him, putting his hands in his pocket. “Sup man, where were you? We waited by your locker for five minutes and you didn't show up!” Hunk asked. “Oh, I stopped at (y/n)’s locker and walked out here with her. She said she's going to work during the break. That's the dumbest thing I've heard” Keith told him. Hunk nodded his head. “I think she said something about it in history. But honestly, I was only half listening. So why is she working during Christmas break?” Hunk asked. 

“Wait, (y/n) is working on Christmas?”

“Why are we talking about (y/n)? Did something happen?” 

Keith groaned at Pidge and Lance. “Nothing happened. (Y/n) is working during over Christmas break, that's all” the coal haired boy told them. “What! (Y/n) is working on Christmas! What kind of boss does she have?!” Lance exclaimed in a dramatic way, his eyes widening to the size of the earth. “I said Christmas  _ break _ , not Christmas  _ day _ . You'd know that if you weren't El Deafo” Keith snapped. Lance seemed to have been smacked out of his surprised state and glared right at Keith. “What did you say about my hearing!” Lance said, getting up in Keith’s face. Keith knew that his brother was challenging him. “You’d know if you could really hear” Keith growled. “Oh look! I see Shiro! Well, I guess we’re leaving you losers” a familiar snarky voice said as she followed Hunk into the car. Lance smirked and shoved Keith back as he ran to the car, wanting to be the winner. Keith glared at Lance, running as fast as he could after him, watching as Shiro slowly started to move the car forward with the door still open. Keith felt a strong wave of fear and sadness strike his heart. As he jumped through the open car door he landed in the seat and slammed the door shut, causing a gust of cold air to travel through the car. Keith sat there as he listened to the distant disoriented laughter, his pale hand gripping the door handle so hard, he was surprised it didn’t break under the pressure. The car ride back home felt like mere seconds. It all felt like one big confusing dream. He didn't even remember going into his room. But when the door was closed gently, he leaned his back against the wall and slid down to the floor. Keith stared at the floor, trying to control his emotions. It was proved to be easier said than done, and soon he was giving himself bruises due to the grip his hands had on his forearms. But he didn’t notice the pain, he was too far gone. Shiro was walking down the hall, wanting to check something on his laptop. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were playing an intense retro video game downstairs in the living room. He could still hear the yelling from Lance as the blue eyed teen “lead the brave knights into battle against the dragon!”, was the exact words he had used. Shiro quietly laughed at the moment as he walked past Keith’s closed door. But something in him made him stop. It wasn’t rare for Keith to close his door. But what Shiro was concerned about was the fact that he’d been in there for two hours with no sign of him throughout the house. Keith had locked himself in his room for far longer than two hours, but even then he’d be seen briefly. Whether it be getting food, or going to the bathroom. So being the worried parent he was at the moment, the scarred man stepped forward to Keith’s door and knocked. “Keith? You alive in there?” Shiro asked through the door. “ _ Go away _ ” Keith’s muffled voice said bitterly. Shiro’s eyes widened. Now he knew something was wrong. Shiro opened the door, looking into the dark room to see Keith sitting on the floor against the wall. Shiro was kneeling next to him in an instant. The coal haired boy was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, his hands holding onto his forearms like they were his lifeline, with his head hanging and his bangs covering his eyes. “Whoa… Keith, what happened…” Shiro asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I said get the  _ hell away _ ” Keith said in a cold tone of voice. “Keith! Don’t you swear at me, I’m your father! Now tell me what's wrong,  _ now _ ” Shiro said in a dark voice, making him appear dangerous. Keith stayed quiet, refusing to say a word to him. After all, it was his fault Keith was in this state. Shiro huffed out a frustrated breath. Why did his oldest have to be so difficult! Shiro glared at Keith with stern steel eyes, but the coal haired boy wouldn't lift his head to meet his gaze. They stayed there in silence for a long time, until Keith broke it. “It felt like you were leaving me…” he said quietly. But Shiro heard every word, and his heart immediately filled with understanding and guilt. Shiro slowly sat down next to him. “Oh… I see. You thought that I was going to leave you at the school? Like  _ them _ ?” Shiro gently asked, trying to be careful with his words. “No, I-I, I knew it was a small joke that meant nothing… but,” Keith tried to say, but the second part of his sentence was stuck in his throat, making him feel like he was choking. “But… it still felt like you were going to leave me, all alone with nothing” Keith said, holding back tears and trying to hide them by resting his forehead on this knees. He knew he was shaking at this point. Shiro looked at him, not really knowing the right thing to do. So he did the only thing he could think of. The coal haired boy felt Shiro pulling Keith into his lap and wrapping his arms around him. “It’s okay… it’s okay. I’m not leaving you ever, your stuck with us buddy” Shiro said in a motherly sort of way, patting Keith’s back. “Shiro, what are you doing?” Keith asked. “I'm letting you know that's it’s ok to cry” Shiro replied. Keith groaned out of annoyance. Shiro was a good dad, great even. But he could treat them like toddlers sometimes, no matter what you’d say. “Uggghhh! Shhiiirrrrooo! I’m not crying, and I’m not three. I’m a grown man dammit, so put me down!” Keith told him, lifting his head up to look him in the eyes. Shiro smirked at his response. “Oh really? Then why is there water in your eyes?” he asked smugly. Keith gasped and quickly dried his grayish purple eyes with his red sleeve. And when he looked up again, his father had a proud, smug, smile on his face. “Wipe that dumb look off your face” Keith snapped, causing him to laugh. Keith glared at him, trying to battle a smile from spreading on his face. Once Shiro’s laughter died and he was breathing normally, the scarred man put Keith on the floor next to him and stood up. “Well, since your feeling better I think we should eat at the dinner tonight. I can finally take everyone there and not be scared of (y/n) pouring pop on you because you pissed her off again” Shiro stated in a joking tone of voice. “That was one time Shiro!” Keith exclaimed as the said man opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “I know. But now you guys are friends” Shiro said. “Well, better having her as a friend and than enemy” Keith muttered, a smile on his face as he followed a Shiro down the stairs. And he meant every word.


	25. Chapter 25

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate on the table of a booth in front of a little girl who sat across from her dad. The warm drink had a tall tower of whip cream, which was covered in rich, dark, chocolate syrup. The little girl's eyes lit up at the sight of it, and reached out for it with both hands. “Thanks, miss” the father said before he took a sip of his black coffee. “No problem. It's a popular drink in the colder months. Now, I’m going to get you some napkins before the mountain of whip cream falls!” the (h/c) haired girl said, walking away to go deliver another order. Her winter break had been going very well the past few days. She had been working at the dinner every day since she had gotten out of school, and she absolutely loved it there. The whole building was decorated as much as it could possibly be without looking like it was overkill. Colorful wreaths were placed on the doors, sparkly gold garlands were hung on the walls, a beautifully shining Christmas tree in the dining room, and mistletoe above the doorway to the kitchen. As (y/n) placed a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches in front of a customer, she heard the cheerful tinkle of the doorbell. She turned her head to see Shiro, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge walk through the doors. She smiled at them as they sat down at a table and looked at the menus. She hurried up and placed a stack of napkins at the booth with the father and daughter. The little girl’s whip cream had leaned over to the side until the father grabbed a napkin, and caught it just in time. (Y/n) hurried up and rushed to her friend's table, pulling out her notepad and pen. “Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see you all here. I mean, you’ve only come here almost every day since the end of school” she said in a sarcastic sort of way. “What? You expect us to just stay at home while you work here most of the day? Hmm. What specials do you have?” Hunk said casually, scanning over the menu. “Yes, that's exactly what I think. Don't you people have holiday stuff to be doing? Oh, the Christmas special is pretty popular right now” she asked. “Pfft, as if. We'd rather annoy you at work!” Lance exclaimed, a teasing smirk on his face. “But the pizza looks so good! Or maybe I should get the macaroni…” Hunk said to himself. (Y/n) rolled her (e/c) eyes at Lance. It wasn't that she doesn't like the fact that they were there, but she was at work and couldn't afford to make mistakes, especially around the holidays. “Well, luckily for you, this is the last day before we close up until a few days after New Years. So you can stop bothering me at work. Now, who wants what so I can get you guys some food” (y/n) said, smiling. The whole group started talking at once, their voices overlapping each other, making it next to impossible to hear the order. “Alright! Calm down!” (y/n) exclaimed, successfully making them shut their mouths. “Thank you! Now, tell me your order please”

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(Y/n) opened the door to her apartment and walked in, taking off her coat and putting it on the coat rack next to the small table where her keys went. Her apartment wasn't decorated much, but just enough to show her love for the holiday. The couch was covered in a red and green blanket that was embroidered with bright gold stars, white Christmas lights were hung on the walls, and a small little Christmas tree stood in the corner closest to the door. It was a homely little tree, straight out of the  _ Charlie Brown _ Christmas special. It came to her waist, and was only able to support two bulbs and a beautiful small angel holding a silver star in her hands. A few wrapped presents were placed under it. They weren’t the prettiest presents, but the wrapping didn't matter much since it was going to be ripped off anyway. Seven for Shiro, Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Allura, and Coran. The eighth one was for Mrs. Bailarín, topped with the prettiest bow (y/n) could manage. As she looked at the small stack, she realized that she didn't recognize one of the presents. “What the heck?” (y/n) mumbled, walking over to the tree and picking up the alien box. It was a bright red, held together with silver ribbon, and in neat cursive handwriting on the tag was the words “To: (Y/n/n)” and “From: Mrs. Bailarín”. (Y/n) set the present back down, a smile creeping onto her face.  _ God, I love this woman _ , she thought as she stood up. She was excited that she got a present, that someone had actually cared enough to get her one. She had figured that she’d get a card with five dollars and that’d be it, but her neighbor had gotten her a real gift and even wrapped it all nice for her. She could never forget how loved her crazy neighbor made her feel, and she could never get enough of that feeling. The feeling of being loved unconditionally, no matter what she’d do. That she always had someone there for her through thick and thin. It just felt nice to have a family, even if it was small. (Y/n) walked to her room, taking her (h/c) hair out of its nineteen fifties ponytail. She loosened her hair, scratching her scalp. The (h/c) haired girl shook off her black heels from her feet, feeling relief as she placed them on the soft carpet. Her bright red dress twirled as she turned to place her shoes safely in her closet. If there was one thing she loved about her uniform, it was the fact that it had an amazing twirl factor to it. She would randomly sneak into the bathroom to see how it spread out around her in the mirror, making her have that  _ Disney Princess _ feeling before she had to go back to work. (Y/n) took off her uniform, changing into her usual clothes. And without another second, she grabbed her blanket from her bed and walked out into her kitchen. She opened a cupboard, grabbing a microwave popcorn packet and setting it in the timed microwave. She stood while leaning against the counter, thinking back to her shift at the dinner. 

_ “All right! Hunk, you have the Christmas special, Pidge has the spaghetti, Lance has the burger with water, Shiro, you have the three hotdogs with a tall glass of iced coffee, and finally Keith, who ordered a million pound stake!” (y/n) said enthusiastically, causing Keith to roll his eyes at her comment. “Well, when you're hungry, your hungry” he told her. (Y/n) smiled, setting everyone's plates in front of them. Shiro took a sip of his beverage, instantly feeling himself start to feel more awake. He had been staying up late, having to keep his kids from finding their presents since they insisted on looking for them. “Actually, we didn’t just come here to eat the amazing food,” Shiro said, setting his drink on the table. (Y/n) gave him a confused look. If he didn’t come here for the food, then why did he bother to come to the dinner at all? “We came here because we’d like to know if you’d like to come to spend Christmas at our house” Shiro told her. (Y/n) looked at them with wide eyes. She didn't expect them to ask her to join them for Christmas. Sure, they invite her to almost everything, and see her every day even when there's no school, and they practically treat her like family-  _ And now I’m starting to wonder why this even surprised me in the first place _ , (y/n) thought. “I don’t know guys, you all probably have plans. Plus I can’t just leave Mrs. Bailarín alone on Christmas” (y/n) said. She didn’t want it to sound like an excuse, but it did. It’s not that she didn’t want to go over, she really wanted to. But she was telling the truth when she said that she couldn’t leave Mrs. Bailarín alone, and for more than one reason. She couldn’t just leave her family on Christmas, that was one of them. The other… was for her health. Lately, she’s been having to go to the doctors more, and there were times when she’d almost fainted. She didn’t know what was happening to her grandmother figure, but she knew that she had to stay with her as much as she could. Keith cut out a giant bite of his stake, swallowing it in mere milliseconds. “Hold on there. We never said you had to come over, we offered you to come over. If you change your mind, you can just call one of us” the coal haired boy told her, stealing Lance’s water and taking a sip out of it. “Hey!” Lance exclaimed as he glared at Keith, taking his water back from him. “Thanks for the invitation, I’ll think about it. I promise,” she told the group. Shiro smiled at her, taking a bit if his hotdog. “Oh, I also have your check!” (y/n) said, putting a piece of paper down on the table next to his plate, and walked to another table to take their orders. Shiro looked down at the check, almost choking on his food. Pidge turned to look at her father, her eyes widening at him. “Shiro! Are you ok?! Your face is purple!” she exclaimed, snatching Lance’s water from his hand as he was about to take a sip. The blue eyed boy looked at her with an angry expression. “What is up with everybody stealing my water?! If you want some, order your own!” Lance told them with a venomous tone. “Lance, you might as well just give up. The world doesn't think you should have water” Keith told Lance. In the corner of his eye, he could see the bright red of (y/n)’s dress move with her. Keith’s attention was pulled away from her to see a coughing Shiro. “Next time,” he said, taking deep breaths as Pidge batted his back. “We’ll just grab fast food” _

(Y/n) heard the microwave beep, and she was drooling at the smell of the buttered, freshly popped, popcorn. She opened the microwave, feeling the heat radiate from the small space, and the delicious aroma grew stronger. She grabbed the bag, opening the top, and reaching her hand inside. She pulled out a handful of popcorn. The (h/c) haired girl walked to her living room and turned on the TV as she brought the rim of the bag to her lips, dumping the tasty snack into her mouth. She knew that no matter what she decided, everything would work out. But she would never have guessed the consequences.


	26. Chapter 26

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) sat on her bed in her room, watching as Mrs. Bailarín walked around her room in a panic as she pulled out clothes from her drawers, only to shove them back in. But every once in a while, she would nod and then shove them into a bag. (Y/n) watched her with a smile on her face. “Mrs. Bailarín, I told you, I can pack my own clothes” she said. Mrs. Bailarín looked at her with a disgusted look on her face, her glasses lenses fully reflecting the white light of (y/n)’s bedroom light. “I have never heard a more horrible idea in my life! I will pack your clothes to go to that rufián’s house, and that is final!” Mrs. Bailarín told her with a voice that was filled to the brim with authority. “For the last time Josie, Shiro is a kind person and it wasn’t his fault I fell in the ice” (y/n) said to her slowly, as if slowing down her speech would finally let her message sink into Mrs. Bailarín mind. The retired broadway actress stared at her with an emotionless face, her feet rooted in her place. “Well, I’ll agree to disagree” she stated, going back into her frantic pace. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at her neighbor. “I swear, you’re the most stubborn person I know! No, wait! I think Keith might only be a bit more stubborn!” she said. Mrs. Bailarín shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Oh please, I’m just making sure that my only grandchild is going to be ok. Nothing more, nothing less. Plus,” Mrs. Bailarín said. “I’m always going to take care of you. Whether you are going to a friends house, or you are going to the other side of the world. I will always be there mi amor” she told (y/n). (Y/n)’s watering (e/c) eyes gazed at Mrs. Bailarín as she finished up packing up her bag. “Do you promise?” (y/n) asked out of nowhere. Mrs. Bailarín looked at her, clear confusion on her face. “Promise what?” she asked (y/n). “That you won’t leave me?” (y/n) asked her. The retired broadway stared at (y/n) as if she had grown another head and screamed. “Not leave y- Did you not hear I word I said?!” she exclaimed, causing the (h/c) haired girl to jump, falling off her bed. “N-no! I heard you loud and clear ma’am!” she said nervously. Her neighbor nodded, zipping up the bag that she had packed. Mrs. Bailarín walked over and took (y/n)’s hand, pulling her out of the bedroom and towards the door that left the apartment. “Now, tell me the plan (y/n/n)” Mrs. Bailarín told her as she manhandled (y/n) into her coat. “I am to be dropped off at noon to spend the night at friend’s house for Christmas Eve. When at the destination, I am to be respectful, clean my messes, and not to be rude. Then on Christmas, you’ll pick me up at seven AM!” (y/n) exclaimed, Picking up the gifts she had bought for her friends. “Perfect! To the automobile”

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“(Y/n)!” the whole family yelled, tackling her in a hug. (Y/n) laughed as she was practically carried into the living room, her bag and their presents in her arms. “Haha! Put me down guys!” she laughed. The four siblings set the (h/c) haired girl on her feet. (Y/n) looked around the brilliantly decorated living room. There were bright sparkly yellow garlands framing the pictures that were hung on the wall, and short strings of pixie lights hanging from the ceiling. In the corner of her eye, she could see mistletoe hanging above the doorway. But the most beautiful decoration was the tree. It was much taller than her own, the silver and gold star just barely an inch from grazing the ceiling, the rainbow Christmas lights shining within the branches, and black, red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink bulbs hanging from the branches. And, of course, there were neatly wrapped boxes at the bottom. “Wow! I love the decorations you guys have!” she said as she set the gifts under the tree. “Thanks, I made the pixie lights from this weird electric potato thing in the garage” Pidge said with a prideful look on her face. Keith scoffed at her. “Yeah, after you broke into  _ my _ garage!” Keith exclaimed, glaring at Pidge. “Well, did you want a nice look house, or no one going into your territory? Because you couldn’t have both” Pidge told him. Keith, not wanting to admit she had a point, turned around and stomped towards the kitchen. (Y/n), Lance, and Hunk held in her giggles as Pidge turned to Mrs. Bailarín and Shiro. The scarred man looked like he was having a heart attack as he stood in front the silent Mrs. Bailarín. She was looking at him with disapproving eyes. It reminded her of the looks that she saw on a daughter’s mother when she hated the husband. The thought made Pidge want to laugh, but stayed quiet for Shiro’s sake. Mrs. Bailarín cleared her throat. “I should be leaving now, I’m sure that you’ll want to do fun stuff with (y/n/n),” she said, walking up to the (h/c) haired girl, wrapping her in a bone-crushing embrace. “I’ll miss you. Oh, and Shiro,” the retired broadway actress called as she made her way to the door and opened it. “Don’t kill her this time!” Mrs. Bailarín exclaimed before she made her exit in a dramatic slam of the door. (Y/n) turned to look at Shiro. He had an unreadable look on his face, making her feel sorry. “Don’t worry Shiro, she’s forgiven you. She’s, just… stubborn” (y/n) told him. Shiro looked at her with a small thankful smile on his face. “Thanks (y/n). Now, let's go decorate cookies,” Shiro told the group as he pushed them to the kitchen. “We’re almost done and there's not a lot of frosting left, but you should be able to make a few” he added. (Y/n) watched as Hunk, Pidge, and Lance run off to the kitchen. She turned to Shiro. “You guys bake your own cookies?” she asked. Shiro’s eyes widened as he stepped into the kitchen. “You mean to tell us that you’ve never decorated cookies?” the scarred man asked her. “No, not really. I did once for a birthday party though. I accidentally stained a mom’s clothes” she said with a bright smile. The family was now watching her with surprised expressions. Hunk even dropped the bag of frosting he was holding in his dumbfounded state. “What? What are you guys staring at? Do I have something on my face!” she said, beginning to wipe her hands on her face. Hunk shook his head in disbelief. “It’s nothing, it’s just that… how do I put this? You need help. Not a little, like a lot. But luckily, I am an amazing cook and baker” Hunk said, handing her a shaker that had sprinkles inside. Keith watched her as Hunk told her step-by-step what to do and how to do it.  _ I know she has shitty parents, but I never thought she’d not know how to do something as simple as put frosting on cookie _ , he thought, the memory of the ice skating incident flashing through his head. It wasn’t then that he realized that she wasn’t that different from the rest of his family. The only difference was that her actual family didn’t give a damn.  _ But she moved on. She made a life of her own and moved on _ , Keith thought as he added another red hot on his cookie. “Keith!” a voice yelled in the coal haired boy’s ear. Keith jumped from his seat, almost spilling an old glass of water. He looked next to him to see Lance sitting in his seat, leaning against the backrest. “What the hell was that for?!” Keith asked him, glaring at him. “That was your hundredth red hot you used, they're almost gone thanks to you. Oh, also, there's some frosting dripping on your pants,” Lance told Keith with a smug smile on his face, making the coal haired boy want to slap it off. Keith looked down at his pants to see the tasty red icing drip down onto his black jeans. “You were really in deep. What were you thinking about?” Lance asked. To anyone else, the question would have seemed casual, but as his brother, Keith could see the hidden concern in his blue eyes. “Nothing” he groaned as he got up and walked over to the counters where (y/n), Pidge, and Hunk were decorating. He reached over his hazel eyed sister, grabbing ahold of the paper towel on the other side of her. After wiping off the frosting from his pants, he looked at the cookie that (y/n) was currently decorating. It was a bright (f/c), topped with red hots acting as polka dots. The cookie decorating didn’t last much longer after that before Shiro was setting up the cookie display while the group of teens were putting on their winter clothes. “What do you guys want to do outside?” (y/n) asked them, taking gloves from her bag and putting them on. She digged through the bag to look for her scarf, but could’t find it.  _ She spends all that time packing and forgets a simple scarf. Figures _ , she thought, accepting the fact that she would have no scarf for the next few hours. “Oh, the usual,” Lance said. “Play games, make a snowman, put snow down Hunk’s back, shove Keith’s face in the snow-”. “And then remind Lance why he shouldn’t even think about that” Keith said, giving Lance yet another glare. “Oh please! It’s not like I actually do any of that stuff. I mean, it’s not fair to the rest of you since I’m much stronger and faster” Lance stated. Pidge smirked as she straightened out her glasses. “Didn’t I beat you at an arm wrestle last year?” she asked him, causing the blue eyed boy’s proud smile to vanish into thin air. Lance sheepishly turned around, looking anywhere except the eyes of his siblings and friend. “Ummm, uhh, oh look! It’s snowing! Let's go to the backyard!” Lance exclaimed, hurrying outside. (Y/n) laughed, opening the door for her friends could walk out and ran out, catching up with Hunk. “Did Pidge really beat him?” she asked. “Science and math aren’t the only thing she’s scary good at. And by scary I mean horrifying” the raven haired teen said as they stepped into the spacious backyard. She watched as Hunk rolled a giant snowball on the ground, and walked over to follow him as he walked around the yard. “Hey, can I join you?” she asked him, causing the raven haired teen to turn around and look up at her. “Yeah! You can make the head. Just beware of the others, Pidge has the mysterious smirk on her face and is looking at Keith and Lance while making a pile of snowballs, and that is never good” Hunk warned (y/n), taking a glance at the hazel eyed girl a few meters away. Pidge picked up more snow from the ground, using her hands to manipulate the cold white substance into a sphere. She was hidden behind a thick tree, but still noticeable. The ground around her was starting to show more dull green and yellow grass. Pidge looked at the frozen ball in her hand. She added it to the pile, starting over again on another, her gloved fingers brushing against the hard ground. The hazel eyed girl looked over her shoulder. Lance and Keith were building forts on the opposite sides of the yard, and Hunk and (y/n) were working on their snowman. It had a head and a giant ball of snow for the rest of the body. The two friends were looking for sticks for the arms, not knowing of the girl that was watching them. Pidge pulled herself back behind her tree and out of sight. She kinda felt bad for (y/n) for what she was about to do, but she really didn’t care at the same time.  _ So your contrudicary, big deal! Lots of people are. Doesn’t mean that this won’t be fun _ , she thought as she smirked, picking up a snowball. She stood up, calculating her aim as precise as she could. And finally, she let it soar through the air. Lance looked at his fort. It was nice and sturdy, and able to take a hit more than once. “Hey Keith! I’m gonna demolish you so bad!” he cried as he stood up, the wall standing up to his knees. And since he had long, slender legs, that said something. Keith scoffed, almost laughed at the words his brother had spoken. “You beat me? That’s a wish Lance, not a statement!” Keith shouted back. Lance rolled his eyes, kneeling back down to the ground to continue working on his fort. “‘That’s not a statement, that’s a wish Lance’,” he mumbled to himself in a mocking voice. “‘But don’t worry, I know that I’m no match for y’- hey!” Lance shouted as a snowball connected with the side of his face. He stood up, stumbling around like a blind man, with his hands in front of him while walking around. Lance took a step forward and felt his shins press up against a cold surface. The next thing he knew, Lance was face first in the snow. Groaning, he sat on his knees and wiped his face with the back of his glove. After removing the snow and water, he looked forward to see a certain coal haired teen facing his way, patting down snow to his fort. Lance glared at Keith, and grabbed a handful of snow, forming a snowball. After aiming it, Lance threw it through the air, where it landed in the face of its target. “Shit!” he heard Keith yell. Keith stood up, a dark aura seeming to surround him. “K-Keith?” Lance nervously stuttered as his brother took a step forward.  _ Shit I’m  _ sssooo _ screwed _ , Lance thought. This was it. This was how he died. His gravestone would read “Lance McClain: Died because he was maimed by a freaking brother who was a bit too violent”, and Keith would be smiling as he was buried. “NO! LANCE!” Hunk cried as he threw the head of his and (y/n)’s snowman at Keith, knocking him to the ground. Lance looked at the raven haired teen, who had a horrified expression on his face. “What the hell man! Forget me, your dead where you stand!” Lance cried. Pidge was holding in her tears of laughter, holding her breath to stop the air trying to get in and out of her lungs. She watched as Keith stood up, and starting walking towards her tree. Her choked up laughter was cut short, stopping in her lungs as Keith approached her hiding spot. “Your spot was smart but could still hear you, you know” Keith said. Everyone’s eyes were as wide as the earth as Keith made hi way towards his sisters. Pidge was rooted in her seat.  _ He heard me?! How?! _ , she thought, fear running through her. It was as if she was in a horror movie. She could feel everything staring at her, and she could hear the sounds of the beast’s footsteps came closer and closer, but she was too frightened to even breath. Trying to gain control of her emotions, she looked at the shadow approaching her. Without thinking, she grabbed a snowball from her pile, and threw it at her brothers face. “Snowball fight!” she fearfully screamed as she ran towards Lance and Hunk, forcing them into Lance’s fort, crouching low. (Y/n) watched them with a confused expression. What was happening? One second she was building a snowman, and now she was watching as the trio hastily made snowballs and aimed to hit Keith. Keith was hidden behind the tree, using Pidge’s amo to hit them. (Y/n) didn't know what was going on, but she knew that it wasn’t fair. She didn’t care if she got struck in the process. “Hey! Stop!” she cried, running in front of Keith, shielding him. Pidge stopped the attack, standing up. “(Y/n), what are you doing?” Pidge asked in a worried tone. She knew what the (h/c) haired girl was doing, and she really didn’t want to have to be enemies with her best friend. “It’s not fair! Three against one? Shouldn’t you guys at least loosen up a bit?” she asked them. Lance stood up, a smirk on his face as an idea came to mind. “Good idea (y/n). Alright Pidge, (y/n) is Keith’s team mate!” he said excitedly. Pidge sighed before she smiled, picking up a snowball. She hated the position she was in, but it was just a game. It’s not like (y/n) would get made at her because she got hit with a snowball. “Pidge? What are you doing?” (y/n) asked before she felt someone grip her arm and pull her with them across the yard. (Y/n) looked in front of her to see Keith running with her, jumping into his fort. He and (y/n) were laying on their backs on the snowy ground, facing towards each other. Keith watched as snowballs soared passed the fort above their heads. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not like I was going to die or anything” she replied. “I know, but we like to treat this like it’s a war. It can get pretty intense” he told her. (Y/n) nodded her head, breathing warm air into her frostbitten hands. Keith watched her before he glanced down at her red face, noticing that she had no scarf. He glanced down at his own scarf, and took it off. “I got to say, that was a dumb move there (y/n),” he said, a playful smirk on his face, wrapping the piece of cloth around her neck, making sure it didn’t choke her. “But thanks for sticking up for me. Now, lets kick their asses outta here” Keith said, handing her his amo. (Y/n) took it, a smile on her face. “Alright!” she exclaimed, standing on her knees next to her friend and throwing it.


	27. Chapter 27

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Allura, Coran, and Shiro were sitting on the couch, watching their third  _ Hallmark _ Christmas chick flick while drinking a heavily creamed coffee. The girl was running to an airport so she could confess her love for the guy before he went back to where ever he came from, or something close to that. Allura was bouncing her leg in her seat, biting her lip. “Come on! Don’t apologize for running into her, run!” she exclaimed, causing the two men on either side of her to stare at her for a few seconds with taken back expressions. The white haired women and her ginger uncle had just arrived a little more than two hours ago with a smile on their faces. They came over every Christmas to spend the night, which meant that everyone had to share rooms or sleep on couches. Usually, Allura and Pidge would share the hazel eyed girls room, and Shiro would share with Hunk or Lance while Coran got the masters bed. Shiro used to share with Keith, but as he got older, he’d subconsciously choke Shiro. And ever since then, he never slept next to him.  _ Where are the kids? _ , he asked himself. It had been a while since he’d seen them leave the house, and they haven't even come back in the house for anything yet. Shiro checked his phone for the time. “Nine thirty-two” he mumbled to himself.  _ The kids had been outside for nearly half the day, doing god knows what. No, their not children anymore! Well, Lance is still questionable, but still! Keith is with them, they’ll be alright _ , he thought. Then, as if the universe had perfect timing, the door opened to show Keith and (y/n) walked inside with a calm smile on their faces. “Hi Shiro! When did Allura and Coran get here? We just got done with a snowball fight. Oooooh, are you watching Hallmark?” she asked as they both walked inside, taking off their winter clothes and hanging them up. The trio of adults looked at the door to see Pidge, Lance, and Hunk walk through the door, closing it behind them. Allura, Shiro, and Coran stared in shock as they saw their state. They were covered head to toe in snow, their cheeks, ears, and noses a brighter red than Rudolph's glowing red nose, with water droplets all over their eyelashes. Their hats and scarfs were messed up on them as if they had been strangled. “Umm, do I want to know what happened?” Allura asked, fearing the answer she might receive. She was there fairly often for a Sunday family dinner, but she was always scared of a simple answer with this family. “She told you Allura, we had a snowball war” Keith replied with a smug, victorious smile on his face, making his way upstairs to change into his pajamas. The coal haired boy closed his door as he heard his siblings come up the stairs. He took off his freezing black t-shirt off, revealing his pale toned body. He threw his shirt to a pile by his closet and walked towards it. After a few minutes of searching through it, he pulled out a large black v-neck t-shirt and soft red plaid pajama pants. Leaning against the desk that held a few school books and his beloved dagger, he pulled the t-shirt over his head, putting it on. Grabbing the pants, he took off his wet black jeans and threw that in the pile too. After sliding his pajama pants on, he walked downstairs to see everyone sitting around the living room. (Y/n) was crouching in front of their tree, picking up the presents she had brought. “What are we doing?” Keith asked, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. “Since (y/n) has to leave early, she wanted to give us our gifts, and I decided that we should give her the one we got her” Shiro explained. Keith nodded his head as he watched (y/n). She, like everyone else, had changed into her pajamas. She stood up, her gifts stacked in her arms. “First, I want to give Lance his,” she said, handing him a small, thin gift. The excitement was plain on her face as she watched him take it. Lance unwrapped it, gasping once he saw what it was. “My god… It’s a treasure from heaven!” he exclaimed, holding a CD case in his hands. It read Boyz 2 Men on the cover. As he showed it around the room, they could all see the back showing that it had more than twenty songs. Pidge hid her head in her hands while Keith’s face went even paler if that was even possible. “Thank you (y/n)!” Lance cried, giving her a hug. “You welcome Lance. Ok, Hunk’s turn” she said, handing him a semi-heavy gift. Hunk’s eyes were visibly glittering with a giant smile to match. He demolished the wrapping, and almost burst into tears. “You, you know me so well!” he told her. In Hunk’s hands was a thick, yellow cookbook. The pages were starting to turn tan which showed its age, and numerous bookmarks were sticking out of it. “Thank you so much” he said quietly as she passed him with a bright smile on her face. “I’m glad you like it! I even made sure that it had room for you to improve or add you own recipes” she told him, causing the raven haired teen to look like his mind was blown. “Here you go Shiro” she said, handing the scarred man a big box. Shiro carefully took it in his hands, almost as if it would shatter in his touch. After tearing the paper and opening the box, he couldn’t help but smile. He reached inside and picked up one of the many coffee products. It was filled with coffee ground, coffee creamer, and even a couple mocha packets. “Thank you so much! I think this enough to last me a year!” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “Well, that was kinda the plan. I wanted to buy the adults wine, but I think you can see how that wouldn’t have worked,” she said as she walked away from him, and towards Pidge. “Here you go. You were hard to shop for, but I think I got a good one for you” she told Pidge, handing her a box. Pidge examined the wrapped boxed, as if it was a new science experiment. After it seemed to pass her “inspection”, Pidge then proceeded to tear apart the wrapping, and opening the box. Everyone watched as Pidge reached inside the box, pulling out a strange device. “Thanks (y/n), but umm, what it it?” Pidge asked she looked at it. It was white and green, and about the width of her hand. It reminded her of bronze knuckles, but the top green part came to a point. The black grippy handle fit in her hand perfectly. “Oh, it’s like a grappling hook taser” (y/n) said brightly, not noticing the look of shocked horror on the families faces. Shiro stood up abruptly, startling the people next to him. “Why would you buy her a taser?!” he exclaimed. “I got it from a joke shop near the hardware store. It’s a pranking item. It’s plastic, and can’t shoot very far. And when it shocks, it’s not like your being electrocuted, a little jump is all it does. Kinda like a hand buzzer,” (y/n) explained. “The box said it can lift up to twenty pounds and is waterproof. I don’t know why it was in a prank shop, but I thought you'd like it… Do you?” (y/n) asked with an anxious look on her face. Pidge got up and wrapped her short arms around her best friends torso. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think this may be the best gift ever!” Pidge told her. (Y/n) hugged her back with her free arm, her other holding the few remaining gifts. She pulled away from the hazel eyed girl, walking over to where the ginger and white haired woman sat next to each other. (Y/n) sat next to them, handing them their gifts as she sat down next to the pair. Coran looked as though he’d been proposed to right there on the spot while Allura smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you (y/n), I just wish I’d known you were going to be here. Then I would have bought you a gift like you did for us” Allura said, hugging (y/n) with the utmost care. (Y/n) pulled away after a few seconds, a smile on her face. “It’s ok! I didn’t think I’d get a gift when I came here. Now open your presents!” (y/n) exclaimed. Coran was more than happy to oblige by opening the box in record time and pulled out a light blue, white, and gold sweater. As Coran held it in his hands, he took note of the soft material. The ginger man held his hands over his head, putting on the sweater. He could instantly feel the warmth it came with and valued it greatly seeing as he could get really cold from time to time. “Thank you so much!” Coran said, leaning over Allura’s lap to drag the (h/c) haired girl into a bone crushing hug. “I saw it in the store and thought of you” (y/n) managed to breathe out. Allura held a small box in the palm of her hand. Coran let (y/n) go, leaning up against Allura’s shoulder as the white haired women unwrapped the paper to reveal a little white leather jewelry box.  _ Jewelry? _ , Allura thought as she lifted the lid. (Y/n) smiled as the bright blue eyed women let out a gasp, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile. “(Y/n), theses are beautiful!” Allura exclaimed as he picked up a pair of pinkish purple earrings. “I saw them in the display case at the thrift store I work at! Instead of accepting an extra pay for working over hours, I asked my boss if I could have those for free and she agreed! I knew that you’d love them the second I saw them” (y/n) explained to her. Allura enveloped (y/n) in a hug, one that was far more sufficating than the one she had received from Coran. “We mean it, thank you (y/n)” Allura told her as (y/n) smiled at her in response. Keith watched as (y/n) hugged them back, standing up with the last box in her hand.  _ His _ . She walked over to Keith and crouched down in front of him with her arms out in front of her and his gift in his face. “I saved the best for last!” she told him, setting the box in his lap. Keith looked at it before he picked it up and tore apart its wrapping paper. (Y/n) watched him as he flipped off the lid. Everybody watched as Keith lifted a red and white pocket knife out of it. Keith stared at it in wonder as he ran his fingers over the red surface of the metal object. (Y/n) nervously scratched the had of her head, desperate for a response. “I, umm, know it’s not as deadly as the dagger in your room, but it has a can opener, mini scissors, a knife of course-”. “I love it!” Keith told her, his grayish purple eyes dancing with excitement. (Y/n) shortly stared at him before a smile spread across her face. “I’m glad you like it!” (y/n) said, giving him a hug. Keith’s eyes widened as time seemed to slow down. His heart didn’t speed up, but he felt it twist almost. Not in a bad way, but in a giddy, almost joyful way. The hairs on his strong arms stood straight up, giving him goosebumps. But as quickly as it happened, it went away the (h/c) haired girl pulled away. “Alright, so what did you guys get me!” (y/n) said excitedly. Shiro winked at Keith and Lance, giving them the signal the family had discussed about for the occasion. Shiro smiled as Keith and Lance got up and walked up stairs. (Y/n)’s eyes followed them, but was brought back to Shiro when he snapped his fingers. “Alright, I need you to close your eyes, got that?” Shiro told her. (Y/n) nodded her head, closing her (e/c) eyes as she sat with her legs crossed. Shiro watched as Keith and Lance snuck down the stairs while each holding a side of the thick, red, blanket. After many hours of brainstorming, Shiro thought it’d be a great idea to get her a sentimental gift that would mean something to her, something that she could use over and over again. And the red blanket instantly came to their minds. They never used it, but (y/n) practically lived in it when she came over, so who could be better to give it to than (y/n)? 

“Can I look now?”

“No”

“Now?”

“No”

“How about now Shiro?”

“In a few seconds!” Shiro playfully scolded as the two brothers behind her crept closer and closer from behind. “Aaaaannnnnnd… Now!” Shiro exclaimed. At their fathers signal, the two brothers threw the blanket over their friend, plunging her into darkness. “Ahhhh!” (y/n) cried, though it was muffled by the blanket. “What happened?!” she asked into the darkness. Pidge smirked at her friend. “We just covered you in your present, that’s what” Pidge told her as (y/n)’s hands popped out from the blanket and pulled it off of her head. Her eyes lit up like a child in a candy store when she realized what was in her hands. “You guys are giving this to me?” she asked dumbfoundedly. “No, we’re giving you a spoon,” Lance said sarcastically. “Of course we’re giving it to you!” Lance said, ruffling her hair. Everybody watched as she wrapped the red blanket around her shoulders. “I don’t know what to say-”. “Thanks would be nice” Keith said, causing Lance to elbow him in the stomach. Keith clutched his stomach, glaring at the blue eyed boy. “Then thanks!” she said as she wrapped it tighter around herself. “Alright,” Shiro said, catching everyone’s attention. “Let’s watch a movie, then we’re all going to sleep. Got it?” Shiro asked, earning multiple nods in reply. The scarred man smiled, picking up the remote. “So, what do we wanna watch?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allura stood in the kitchen, listening to sound of the coffee machine prepare her morning brew as the rest of the family slept soundly. Deciding that her coffee wouldn’t be ready for another minute, she walked to the doorway that leads to the living room. She could see the group of teens in a deep sleep on the couch. They were, of course, hugging the closest person to them. Hunk was leaning against the back of the couch with Pidge laying across his lap. The hazel eyed girl had her head face down in the couch cushions, her raven haired brother’s arm draped across her back. Nearby, Lance and Keith were facing each other while Keith held Lance to his chest, and Lance was hugging his coal haired brother to him. Allura almost doubled over laughing at the thought of them waking up in each other’s arms. It would be a scene to behold. And then there was (y/n), who laid soundlessly asleep against Keith’s back, almost completely covered in her new blanket. Allura turned her head towards the kitchen when she heard a slight beeping from the coffee machine. “The coffee” she whispered to herself, running towards the counter to pour the hot beverage in a cup. “Morning” Shiro murmured as he shuffled in, instantly going to the cupboards to grab a cup and pour himself coffee, along with some of the new creamer he had “acquired” last night. “Merry Christmas” the white haired women said to him. Shiro smiled at her with tired but happy steal gray eyes. “Thanks, you too” he said, hugging her with one arm. “So, how was Coran? I hope he wasn’t too bad. He sleeps like starfish sometimes” Allura told him. Shiro chuckled a bit, sitting down at the table. “Yeah, he slept with his arms and legs spread out. So that was a nice night” Shiro said, rubbing his neck where he felt a sharp pain. “I’m sorry. Pidge’s bed was actually nice and comfy,” Allura told him, making him groan. Shiro took a long sip of the cup of heavenly liquid joe. This was why he woke up early, for the peace and quiet, and the serenity of it all. “So when is (y/n) supposed to be dropped off?” Allura asked.

“Dropped off?”

“Yeah, aren’t you taking her back”

“No, she’s being picked up at seven”

“Well, then that Bailarín women is awfully late. I mean, it’s ten forty-four in the morning” 

Shiro’s eyes widened at the mention of the time. “D-did you say, ten forty-four?” Shiro asked in disbelief. “Yes, I di-”. “Quiznak! She’s going to kill me!” Shiro yelled as he dashed from the kitchen table. The scarred man ran around the house in a frenzy, waking up his kids and (y/n), getting them ready to leave the house. All throughout that time period, he managed to get them dressed, showered, and fully awake, and (y/n) packed to go home. The drive to her apartment seemed like a blur, lights passing as he drove quickly, yet carefully through the traffic. He finally breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled into a parking spot near the doors. “I’m sorry about today guys, but I really don’t want to be yelled at by that women again. Getting yelled at the normal way is one thing, but getting yelled at in Spanish is another. It’s worse not knowing what she’s saying” Shiro explained, facing the kids in the back. (Y/n) stood up, making her way to the car door. “It’s ok, I understand. I just don’t know why she didn’t get there on time…” (y/n) said, stepping out on the sidewalk. “She’ll have her reasons. Merry Christmas!” Shiro exclaimed. “Merry Christmas!” she said before she closed the door, walking into the apartment. She dragged her luggage with her up the steps, reaching her floor with heaving breaths. She was more than happy when she saw her and Mrs. Bailarín’s door. Unlocking her door, she waltzed right in, setting her bag and red blanket on the couch. “Mrs. Bailarín! I’m home!” (y/n) cried to her apartment. She waited, and waited, and waited. But not a single sound was made. “Huh, that’s weird…” she mumbled to herself. She then checked every room in her apartment, only to find that it was completely empty.  _ She must be in her apartment then _ , she thought as she ran to her door. (Y/n) dashed into the narrow hallway and reached for her neighbor’s spare key in her pocket and opened it. As she walked in, she didn’t see a single trace of her grandmother figure. “Josie?” (y/n) called into the living room, making her way towards the kitchen. Dread started to fill every fiber of her being, and it only intensified when the (h/c) girl walked into the kitchen. There, lying on the floor, was the body of her beloved grandmother. “Josie…” (y/n) called out softly. As she watched her neighbor's body not respond, she felt her throat close up and tears instantly formed and flowed from her eyes. Her heart was already pounding her chest painfully, but she didn’t note any of it as she fell to the floor beside the fallen women. “Mrs. Bailarín! Wake up!” she cried as she shook her neighbor shoulders. Tears of sadness fell from her cheeks as horribly, dark filled fears began to invade her mind. Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed nine-one-one.


	28. Chapter 28

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) paced back and forth in the waiting area outside a hospital door. She would eventually almost run into someone, say a tired “sorry” and continue her worried pacing again in the hallway, seeing as it had already happened several times. The nurse at the desk watched the poor girl with a look of sympathy on her face. (Y/n) had been walking outside Mrs. Bailarín’s room since the moment she got here, which felt like hours from now. And she watched with fearful, teary eyes as doctors and nurses rushed in and out of the door. She had tried to sneak in a number of times, but always got caught. And it got to the point where she would be kicked out if she tried to pull anything again.  _ Sometimes I wish I had Keith’s magical ability to pop up in random places at will _ , she thought, remembering the times he seemed to have fallen from the sky. (Y/n) sighed. Deciding that she had to do more than walk her worries away, she headed towards the bathroom. After she had relieved herself, she walked up to the sink to wash her hands, gasping at the mirror. Her hair was wild and nappy like a lion's mane, she had deep bags under her eyes from being woke up so early and the shock of events, and her eyes were red with a glossy look in them. “I look like a wreck…” she whispered to herself. The (h/c) haired girl instantly grabbed a paper towel and put it under some running water. When the paper towel was soaked, she ran it over her face, feeling the cold water cooling, and calming her down. Throwing the bathroom tissue away on her way out of the restroom, she made her way back to the waiting area and sat down in one of the cushioned chairs. (Y/n) stared at the floor with solemn eyes, wondering what was happening to her beloved neighbor. Was she being given medication so she could walk out of this place? Was she actually alright and was just going through some checkups? Was she being operated on right now? Or was it worse than she thought… “NO!” (y/n) screamed as she shot up from her seat.  _ That can’t happen! It can’t… she’s all I have left _ , she thought, her hands shaking at her sides. “Miss?” a kind and gentle voice said, and (y/n) could feel an empathetic hand on her shoulder. Her head whipped around to see the kind-hearted looking nurse from the desk nearby. She hadn’t paid attention before, but now she saw what she looked like. She had dirty blonde hair in a side ponytail, light peach skin with green eyes. Her scrubs were all white except for her sea green shirt. “Are you ok? You look pretty rough…” she said calmly, setting herself and (y/n) into the seats. The (h/c) haired girl took a deep breath, relaxing into the chair. “I’m fine. I’m just worried about someone in that room,” (y/n) told her as she gestured her head towards the door that was in front of them. “She’s the one that was in the ambulance” (y/n) added. The nurse nodded, understanding what she was dealing with. “Is she your grandmother?” she asked. “Not biologically, but yes. She is my grandmother” (y/n) replied, running her fingers through her knotty hair. The nurse looked at her. Where were her parents? Shouldn’t they be here, or be on their way here? “Where are your parents? Aren’t they worried about her too?” she asked, her eyebrows knitting together. “No, they, umm, uh… Aren’t in town. It’s just me. And I’m not leaving without her” (y/n) said. The nurse opened her mouth to say something but was cut off when a doctor walked over to her. “Hey, we need you upstairs” he said as he hurried away without another word. She nodded her head, standing up. “I need to go, but I hope she’s ok” she said as she jogged down the hall, disappearing behind a corner. (Y/n) looked at the clock on the wall in between two doors, letting her know that it was three twenty. Her eyes widened in surprise.  _ I’ve been here for five hours? _ , she thought. She looked at the ground as worry washed over her. What was happening in there? What could possibly be the reason that she still couldn’t see Mrs. Bailarín even five hours later? Was her condition really that bad? (Y/n) didn’t want to think these thoughts, but they flooded her mind unwillingly no matter how hard she tried to cancel them out. As if an unknown force wanted to give her mercy, her stomach let out a loud muffled growling noise. There wasn’t a single thought in her head as she glanced down at her stomach. Relieved of the distraction that was given to her, (y/n) made her way down to the food court. While she waited in line to buy herself some food, the doctors were going over Mrs. Bailarín’s chart. The retired broadway actress was laying in a hospital bed, IV’s strapped to her arms as she laid there as she was barely able to register her surroundings. She could faintly hear the steady beeping of the monitor beside her bed, and two doctors talking a few feet from her. She stayed quiet so she could listen properly. “She’s having problems with her heart. I checked her medical history, and she’s on a list of medications. She’s been on heart medicine for a short time now” a male voice said. She could hear another man sighing next to the first one. “I know she’s having a heart failure, but I just got the scans and results in. And I don’t think there's much we can do at this point” he said regrettably. “I figured” Mrs. Bailarín said weakly, opening her eyes to look at them. One doctor had dark skin with a bald head, the other looked like a newly graduated college student with pale skin and brown hair. “Mrs. Bailarín! You’re awake,” the one with dark skin said, stepping closer. “I’m Dr. Skeal. I assume you heard about your condition?” he asked. Mrs. Bailarín nodded, her hand inching towards the bed controls. The boy with the brown rushed to her side. “Up?” he asked. “Well, I’m already lying down, I don’t think I can go any lower” she said in a bold voice. He would have laughed if the situation was more laid back, but he didn’t have that kind of luxury. Josie waited as the backrest of the bed slowly went up until she motioned the boy that it was up far enough. The doctor gave the clipboard that was in his hand to him, telling him to go somewhere. The brown haired boy walked out of the room and into the hallway. “Now that your awake, I want to go over the possible procedures that we can do to help you” Dr. Skeal said, sitting down at the foot of her bed. Mrs. Bailarín looked at her hands that load in her lap. She knew that there was two ways that this could go. But it was like looking at two roads that were both the same, perilous and trying. Whatever the doctor had planned to save her was bound to leave her weak and unable to take care of herself. Then Mrs. Bailarín would have to watch as (y/n) wasted her time tending to the retired broadway actress. And Mrs. Bailarín didn't want to do that. “Please call (y/n) (l/n) up to this room in an hour, a-and...” she told the doctor. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and her heart clench painfully. “I need you to do something for me” she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) laid on top of a small white circular table, her head on top of her folded arms. Her phone was inches away from her hand, and a plastic cup and food wrapper were placed at the end of the table. She had walked down to the food court and ordered food like she had decided, taking the time to calm herself down and relax. So she had been reading a book on her phone to pass the time. The (h/c) haired girl only meant to rest her eyes for a few seconds before she was swept away to her dreamland. And now, she was sleeping peacefully, her shoulders rising and falling slowly, matching her shallow breathing. Mr. Skeal walked into the room, looking for a girl with (h/c) hair, and (s/c) skin, just like Mrs. Bailarín had described to him. He scanned the room for a girl that fit the description. It was pretty empty, so the selection wasn't that hard to choose from. As he turned his head, at the very back of the room, Mr. Skeal saw a teenage girl with the exact details he was given. _ I hope this is her _ , he thought as he walked over to the sleeping girl. 

_ “Mrs. Bailarín! Please, you really don’t need to stay! I’m sure you are busy. Right?” a younger (y/n) eagerly asked, standing up from her new apartment floor, her leg muscles screaming at her to sit back down. Ignoring the pain, she stood up panting. Her lungs felt like they were breathing in fire rather than air. “Oh no, I have no plans whatsoever! And that means I can stay here for the rest of the day. Now, again” Mrs. Bailarín said, as she tapped the tip of her cane on the floor. (Y/n) glared at the retired broadway actress. When she moved in, she didn’t think that she would be stuck here in this situation. She wanted to get along with her neighbors, but Mrs. Bailarín it extremely difficult. She was typically a kind person, but she could feel her anger and annoyance bubbling up to the surface. Deciding that she has had enough, (y/n) walked over to the small CD player, pressing the pause button which stopped the music from playing. At the sound of silence, Mrs. Bailarín turned her head in the direction of her CD player. (Y/n) picked up the music playing machine, the wire dangling from it and dragging along on the floor, and set it in the arms of a surprised Mrs. Bailarín. “What on earth are you doing!” the retired broadway actress asked.  _

_ “Listen, I think you’re a great neighbor to be helping me with my, uh, ballroom dancing abilities. But I still have a lot to do-” _

_ “You’re kicking me out, aren’t you?” _

_ “Not to be rude, but yes. I am throwing you out” _

_ “Well, see you tomorrow then” Mrs. Bailarín said, turning to walk out the door. (Y/n) groaned in frustration.  _ This woman just won’t quit! _ , she thought. “Mrs. Bailarín, you keep coming here day after day. Why?” (y/n) asked just as her neighbor was about to open the door. They stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, after coming up with a perfectly worded answer, she replied. “I’m old enough to know a broken soul when I see one. Your hiding a secret, and I will find out. It’s my way of wanting to help you” she said, turning away and leaving. (Y/n) stood in her place, staring at the door. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, and she could feel tears coming on. Someone had finally noticed the mask she had been wearing since she was a child. _

“Excuse me? Excuse me? Wake up!” a sudden voice exclaimed. (Y/n)’s (e/c) eyes fluttered open, and she sat up straight, yawning and stretching her arms out. Relaxing in her chair, she rubbed her eyes, and allowed them to adjust to the lighting. She remembered where she was and why she was there as memories played in her head like a fast-forwarded movie. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she noticed the doctor standing next to her table, looking at her nervously. “I’m sorry to bother you, but are you (y/n) (l/n)?” Mr. Skeal asked impatiently. “Yes I am. Why? Wait, is Mrs. Bailarín ok! What was happening? Tell me something dammit!” (y/n) said rather quickly. “She’s fine, but please come with me” he told her, walking away. (y/n) followed him through the halls of the hospital. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest as she came closer and closer to the door to Mrs. Bailarín’s room. Mr. Skeal finally came to a stop, causing (y/n) to stop in her tracks behind him. Mr. Skeal turned around and looked at her. “Go in. When you come out, go to the desk and ask for me, ok?” he asked. (Y/n) nodded her head as she dashed into the room without hesitation. She burst into the room, her worried eyes going directly to the retired broadway actress. “Mrs. Bailarín!” she cried as she basically threw herself into Mrs. Bailarín’s arms. Josie hugged her back with an equal sense of love, petting her hair as she kissed the top of her head lightly. “I’m glad to see you too mi amor” she whispered. They stayed like that in silence for a moment. (Y/n) pulled away and sat on the bed beside Mrs. Bailarín’s legs. “A-are you ok? What happened? I was so worried” (y/n) told her. Mrs. Bailarín looked at her hands in her lap. “The doctor says I have heart failure. That I wouldn’t have made it if you didn’t find me when you did” she whispered. The light inside (y/n)’s eyes seemed to disappear completely. Her own heart almost stopped right then and there. “B-but… you’re ok now! I mean, you’re here. Alive and well!” (y/n) exclaimed, finding it hard to control herself. Her grandmother figure sat still, her gray eyes avoiding the (e/c) ones staring at her. Mrs. Bailarín cleared her throat, guilt building up inside her. “The options I have, to help me, are expensive. And when it would be all over, I’d be left too weak to take care of myself” the retired broadway actress told (y/n). (Y/n)’s lips broke out into a small smile, her eyes seeming to relax at this bit of news. “That’s perfect! I’ll take care of you! I practically do that now, so it wouldn’t be that different” she explained. “But what about your jobs? You have to work three jobs a week, plus take care of an old woman? I can’t have that kind of burden on your life…” Mrs. Bailarín said quietly. (Y/n) let an anxious, short, and broken laugh. “What do you mean? You're acting like it be better to… to…” (y/n) said, not being able to finish her sentence. Mrs. Bailarín looked at her eyes with tears in them. They stayed like that in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. Nothing was going through (y/n)’s head, nothing at all. All she could hear was the deafening silence around her.  _ Wait, it’s quiet… _ , she thought suddenly.  _ We’re in a hospital. There should be a heart monitor _ , her mind continued in horror. And that’s when it hit her. Her head whipped around the room, looking for a heart monitor, an IV bag that just had to be connected to Mrs. Bailarín’s arms… But she saw nothing. “M-Mrs. Bailarín…” she whispered, her voice breaking at the end. Her neighbor looked at her with an expression of consummate sadness and guilt in her face. “I can’t be a burden on your life (y/n/n). I didn’t want it to end this way-”. “THEN WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PULL THE DAMN PLUG!” (y/n) screamed as fresh tears streamed down her face. She was shaking violently as if she was a bomb about to go off. But in a way, she already was. “You said you wouldn’t fucking leave me! You said that you loved me! If that true then why are you just deciding to die!” she yelled, placing her hands on the side of her head, gripping her hair as if she was about to pull it all out. “I was left all alone until you showed up! Even when I shoved you out my door or yelled at you, you still stayed! Because you wanted to help me! HOW IS LEAVING ME HELPING ME! YOU CAN’T JUST DIE AND LEAVE SOMEONE YOU LOVE! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO TURN OUT LIKE THEM!” She yelled as loud as she could, and she could already feel her throat going sore. There was another wave of absolute silence took over. They both didn’t know what to say. Was there even anything to say after all (y/n) had screamed? Mrs. Bailarín swallowed the giant lump in her throat and held out her arms for (y/n) to climb into. When she refused to do so, Mrs. Bailarín’s lip began to tremble. “Please…” she said. Unable to say no, (y/n) climbed into her neighbors embrace, sobbing all the way. “Shhhhhhhhhhh, I know. But I’d rather die now, than having to depend on a machine for my life, and hold you back. I’ve come to terms with dying, now you need to do that too” she said softly on (y/n)’s ear. “H-how can I-I when you're the one I l-lo-ove the most?” (y/n) said as she quietly cried, a tear falling down her cheek. “I know. This breaks my heart more than it does yours. But I’ll always be with you,” the retired broadway actress whispered. “ _ Te amo mi amor _ ” she whispered before she closed her eyes, resting her granddaughters head over her heart. And they stayed like that, laying next each other. And (y/n) listened to the heartbeat until she was sound asleep. And there she slept, even when her precious neighbors heart stopped, even when the hands that held the (h/c) haired teen became cold, and even when the door opened and in walked Dr. Skeal, who felt more mourning and remorse he had ever felt in his life. He left them there in the room until (y/n) woke up the next day, grief stricken and broken.


	29. Chapter 29

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith laid sound asleep in his bed, lightly snoring ever so quietly. The sky outside was split in two colors. Most of the morning sky was a navy blue with the stars still dancing across it, while a lighter shade of blue was just appearing on the eastern horizon. The ground was covered in white snow, sparkling in the lampposts pale light. The old red clock next to his bed ticked away, coming closer and closer to the number twelve at the top.  _ Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg! Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg! Rrrrr _ \- a pale hand came slamming down on top of it, pressing the button that turned of the annoying sound. Keith groaned, lifting his head from his warm bed to look at the time. After letting his eyes adjust to the darkness of his room, he read the time on his clock.  _ Five thirty… Shit I hate school _ , he thought as he got out of bed and turned on the lights. The coal haired boy made his way over to his closet, pulling his usual red jacket, black v-neck t-shirt, and black pants out from it. He made his way out of his room and towards the bathroom at the end of the hall where he could hear someone turning off the shower. Keith leaned against the wall outside the door, waiting patiently for the person inside to get out. A few minutes later, Pidge came walking out with her light brown hair damp from her shower, fully dressed for school. “Your turn Keith” she said as she made her way to the stairs. Keith nodded, walking into the bathroom and closing the door. After locking it, he turned on the water and stripped out of his pajamas and climbed into the shower. The hot water woke him up, feeling like his skin was burning off his body, and hurriedly turned the knob to cool it down. Feeling the water turn a bit colder, he began to squirt the shampoo in his hair and soon felt the bubbles form as he scratched into his scalp. After rinsing it out, he proceeded to add conditioner, lathering it onto his coal colored hair, brushing it out with a comb that was next to all of the bath stuff in the shelves that were inside the shower. After he was done, Keith put the comb back into its spot and turned off the water. Keith grabbed a towel and dried himself off, then proceeded to get dressed. He left the bathroom, walking down the stairs to the kitchen. “Hey guys” he said to his siblings. “Morning” they all said in unison. Keith walked over to the counter and grabbed a bagel, popping it into the toaster. Keith rubbed his eyes, letting out a long yawn. Lance looked around the kitchen, noticing that someone was missing. “Hey, where's Shiro?” Lance asked. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him all morning” Hunk said, standing up to put his plate in the sink. Pidge stood up from her seat, pushing in her chair and straightened her glasses. “I’ll go check up on him” she said, walking out of the room. The three brothers stayed in the kitchen in a heavy silence. It was only broke for a brief second when the toaster was done with Keith’s toast, and when a loud, angry voice screamed out and there was a thud from the ceiling. “Wake up Shiro! Everyone is already up and eating breakfast! What happened to “wake up early for school tomorrow!”?! I can’t believe you! Gaahhhh!” Pidge yelled at Shiro from the second floor. “Man, I sure feel bad for Shiro” Lance murmured, causing Keith and Hunk to nodded their heads in agreement. Pidge came stomping in the kitchen not much longer with Shiro trailing behind her, his white tuft of hair looking like a big fuzz ball. Once Shiro was awake they were a lot faster, and was soon piling out of Shiro’s black minivan, walking into the school. “Hey, I’m going to go to my classroom early. I got to start up the computer and get everything ready” he told them, walking away from the kids. Keith’s eyes searched the walls until he found a clock hanging above one of the lockers, telling him that it was just past seven AM.  _ That's weird. She’s always here before seven. Whether it’s rain for shine _ , he thought. “Hey, where's (y/n)?” Keith asked, facing towards his family. “Uh, I don’t know. But it has to be the first day where she’s miss school” Pidge said, sitting on the floor while typing away on her computer. Lance leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit next to his sister. “Man, she’s is dedicated to going here. I mean, even Pidge has missed a few days of school, she even came here with the flu once!” Lance exclaimed. “Wait, you guys don’t think that's she’s sick, do you?” Hunk asked. “If she is sick, I’m sure (y/n) will be back here tomorrow. She did play nurse for a whole weekend for us,” Pidge replied, the bell ringing almost instantly after she little speech. “Come on guys” she said, turning off her laptop and putting it in her backpack. The rests followed the hazel eyed girl down the hall. But Keith couldn’t get rid of the cringing feeling in his gut. His instincts were always right, and he had never felt more sure about anything as he did in that moment. Something was off, but he had no clue what.  _ It’s fine, she’ll be here tomorrow. She thinks missing a single minute of class is mortifying, so I don’t think (y/n) won’t be here _ , he thought as he walked into the science room to see Shiro standing on a lab table, trying to fix the projector. But she wasn’t there the next day, or the next. When Thursday came around, there still wasn’t a single trace of (y/n) and that was when Shiro, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge started to worry for their (h/c) haired friend. And that was why they were now on their way to her apartment after school on Friday. Keith was the first one to get out of the car and hastily walk into the small lobby. When the rest of the gang caught up with him, they all made their way to the door that lead to the stairs. Shiro reached out his hand to open the handle, and pulled. It didn’t move a smidge. Clearing his throat, the scarred man turned his head towards the lobby desk where a middle-aged woman sat, reading her book. She had graying red hair with pale skin. Not as pale as Keith’s was, but she looked like she hadn’t seen the sun since she was a child. “Umm, excuse me,” Shiro said, gaining her attention. “Why are the stairs unavailable?” he asked. “Oh, the stairs are being repaired. We do that every ten to fifteen years so they don’t break. But we have an elevator you can use” she told them, her finger pointing towards the elevator on the opposite side of the room. “How did we never notice it before?!” Hunk exclaimed. The lady at the desk shrugged her shoulders and continued to read her book. Pidge walked up to the elevator buttons, pressing up. The whole family waited in silence, waiting for the doors to open. It was only a matter of seconds before the bell ringed, and the doors opened. They stepped aside, watching as two people dressed in black formal clothing walked out of the elevator, a solemn look on their faces. “Can you believe that she was given everything that woman ever owned?” the first one asked their colleague. “I know. It's sad that someone has to go through this at such a young age. Breaks my heart” the second one replied, gripping his suitcase a little bit tighter. Keith slowed down his steppes, watching as the two people walked out of the building.  _ What do they mean by that? _ , he thought. “Keith, come on” Shiro called, pressing the floor number on the button panel. Keith hurried inside as the elevator doors closed. A few seconds later, the door opened up again, revealing the familiar hallway of (y/n)’s floor. They all quickly walked out of the elevator and made their way down the hall. “Here it is” Shiro said, recognizing the number on her door. Shiro stood in front of (y/n)’s door, and gave it a hardy knock. They waited there for a few seconds, but nobody came. “She is home… right?” Lance said. Shiro knocked again, but this time there was a echoing sound of footsteps leading to the door before it opened to reveal (y/n). Her appearance broke their hearts. Her (h/c) hair had lost its normal shine, and was ratty and tangles up in a big mess. Her (e/c) eyes were dull and lifeless, with large bags under them. Her skin looks paler, almost sickly. And they thought for a second that she looked thinner as well. And there was no sign of happiness on her face, only a sad expression. She was dressed in a knee length black dress with a big black sweater covering her arms. Keith stepped forward through his family wearing a worried face. “What the hell happened to you?” he asked. Instead of sounding like he cared, Keith sound more sarcastic, and he knew it because he immediately felt Pidge’s heel digging into his toes. (Y/n) forced a smile onto her face, moving aside to let them in. “Its ok, I just haven't been feeling well. Come on in” she said. She stepped aside, letting her friends anter her apartment. It was the worst that they had ever seen it. Cups and plates with food were scattered almost everywhere, and clothes were put in small piles near the couch. On the counter were messy stacks of papers with little fine print. Only one paper was separate from the rest. It was yellow with neat cursive handwriting. And in the corner closest to the door was a small christmas tree with a single present underneath it. “Sorry, it's not that clean… I haven't really had time or motivation to do it…” she said as she walked through her living room. “We can help you if you want (y/n),” Shiro offered, picking up a tall glass from the side table by the couch. “I mean, you look pretty rough” Shiro added, walking into the kitchen with her and setting the cup inside the sink. “No, it’s fine. A-a lot has been happening lately, so I haven’t really had a chance” she said in a broken voice. Everyone looked at (y/n) with worried eyes, knowing something wasn’t right. Lance sat down at the cluttered counter, pushing an unfinished plate of takeout food aside. He looked at the neat pile of papers stacked up in a pile, his ocean blue eyes traveling to the yellow sheet of paper. But before he could even read a single word, it was quickly snatched away from his wandering eyes. Lance looked up to see (y/n) carefully folding up the piece of paper, holding it to her heart and taking a deep breath as if to calm herself down. “You guys stay here a second, I gotta go put this somewhere safe” she said, making her way down the halway and to her room. (Y/n) walked faster and faster as she could feel silent, hidden tears slip down her cheeks. She closed her door behind her, placing a hand over her mouth and shutting her eyes. Pidge sat down next to Lance, looking down the hall until she heard the door to (y/n)’s bedroom door close. “Alrighty…” she mumbled to herself, reaching across Lance’s lap to take hold of the stack of papers. “Pidge! What are you doing?!” Lance yell whispered. Hunk dashed to Lance’s side, a shocked look on his face. “Yeah! What are you thinking! (Y/n) is going to get  _ pissed _ if she find you looking through those!” Hunk told her, biting his fingernails. Keith came right beside his sister with a serious look on his face. “Well, what does it say?” he asked. Shiro, Hunk, and Lance’s eyes stared at him in disbelief. Did he just say what they think he said? “Look, obviously there's something wrong with (y/n). And I don’t think that she’s going to tell us anytime soon. There’s a reason that these papers are clean, or at least organized compared to the rest of her apartment. If we can find out what happening, we can fix it” Keith explained, taking the bottom half of the papers from Pidge to help her. Lance smirked at his older brother, a knowing look on his face as he saw Keith’s calm but worried face skim over the writing on the papers. “You’re really worried Keith. Aww, the big scary rebel has a soft spot” Lance said in a mocking tone. Keith faced Lance, glaring at him. Even Keith himself couldn’t deny that he was slightly more worried about this than he should be. But could they blame him? What about this seemed normal? (Y/n)’s apartment was always clean, and she always took care of herself to make sure she was healthy. And the feeling in his stomach wouldn’t go away. He had a lot of faith in his instincts, and it never let him down… So why would it now? “Lance, shut up and let me read. If you don’t want to help, go somewhere else” Keith snapped. “Keith,” Shiro said in a stern voice. Keith looked at him with pleading eyes, causing Shiro to sigh. “Alright, look through the papers. Keith is right, something up. But if you get caught, don’t think I’ll defend you guys” Shiro told them. They all nodded, and Pidge handed part of her stack to Lance and Hunk. “Now, look through them quickly before-”. “Oh… My… God…” Keith said to himself, staring at the print in disbelief. Everyone’s head turned to look at him. “What?” Lance asked. Keith raked his hand through his coal colored hair. Meanwhile, (y/n) sat on the floor of her room, taking deep shaky breaths as tears flowed from her eyes. She was trying so hard not to scream and cry out, she felt like she was about to die anytime soon. The pain in her chest was getting worse and worst. (Y/n) felt like everything inside her was trying to fit and squeeze into her heart. Her body was weak, barely having the strength to hold herself up. And she felt mentally drained.  _ Mentally drained _ … She had heard the phrase many times, but had never understood it… Until now, that is. Physical, emotional, and mental pain. She could barely handle one of them, but all three?  _ How the hell am I supposed to do this? _ , she thought sadly as another tear slipped down from her cheek and onto the yellow paper. At the top of it were the neat handwriting of Mrs. Bailarín. “ _ The Will of Josie Bailarín _ ”. She stared at it, as if the very women who wrote it would come bursting out of it in a glowing light. But as much as she wished it, it wouldn’t happen. And she knew it never would. (Y/n) knew she had to join the others, they’d start to get worried soon. But as she started to stand, her knees buckling and shaking, her legs gave out from under her. As she started to fall, a pair of strong arms caught her before she could fall very far. Her arms instinctively wrapped around the other person, her jaw resting on top of their shoulder. As she drew in another breath, she inhaled a familiar scent. Her eyes opened to see coal colored hair centimeters away from her face. “K-Keith?” she sobbed, pulling away from him to sit on her legs. She looked behind him to see the rest of the family at her door. “Guys? What are you doing here?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. “Well…” Lance said sadly, holding up a paper with three signatures on it, one of them her own. They all stayed in silence, not quite knowing what to say. Pidge stepped forward and crouched down in front of her. “How long did you think you could hide out here?” she asked. (Y/n) shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know… Probably until I was ok” she replied, pulling her knees to her chest. A small sad smile spread to everyone’s face, and Shiro, Lance, and Hunk joined them. Before she knew it, (y/n) was completely surrounded by the faces of her worried friends. Keith scoffed at her answer. “Everyone in this room room knows that you're never going to be completely ok after something like this” he said. “I kn-know…” she said, looking down at her toes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) laid on the couch at Shiro’s house, the pale, silver moonlight flooding in through the windows, bathing her in its light. After they had calmed her down, Shiro decided that she shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. Something about needing closure and a chance to grieve while knowing that they had her back no matter what. To be honest, the (h/c) haired girl already knew all that, but she didn’t disagree with him. She didn’t want to be by herself. And that was why she was here on the couch wide awake at midnight while everyone else was sleeping peacefully. She hadn’t slept at least eight hours since the hospital and was kind of used to staying up late. The only difference was that she was with other people, wrapped in her red blanket. She had already turned off all the lights and the TV, seeing as the group of teens thought they should watch a movie. And now she laid in her own corner of the couch, staring at the ceiling. “So…” a voice whispered, making the (e/c) eyed girl jump out of her skin. Her head snapped in the direction in which the voice came from, and saw Keith carefully moving to sit by her. “So what?” she asked, watching as he too became covered in the moonlight. “She gave you everything?” he asked. She sighed, nodding her head. “Yeah, she gave me everything. Also told me in her will that I should sell half of the stuff so I can actually buy my own food instead of takeout from the dinner” she told him. The coal haired boy looked at her in surprise. “You don’t go grocery shopping?” he asked. “No, I don’t make enough for that. That’s why I love the food here because it's actually made in your house by a great cook” she explained, looking towards Hunk, who laid on his back, lightly snoring. “That makes sense” Keith said. (Y/n) frowned, causing Keith’s heart to feel like it was giving out. “Back at my place, you said that I’m never going to be completely ok. When do you think I’ll be “ok”?” she asked him. Keith sighed, not knowing how to answer this perfectly. “Well, that’s kinda tricky. It could take weeks, even months. Or maybe over the course of this weekend. But you’ll be ok, mostly because I don’t think my family will let you be like this for long.  _ Trust me on that _ ” he said, causing her to let out a small, quiet laugh. For a fleeting moment, his heart felt like it just did a front flip. “Thanks… Goodnight” she whispered. Keith smiled back. “Night (y/n)” he said, laying next to her. The rest of the night was silent, and (y/n) didn't wake up a single time. It wasn't until noon that she woke up, being suffocated by Keith and Lance, who had their arms wrapped around her on either side. Each brothers legs draped across the others. She couldn't stop laughing at their horrified faces once they woke up. Keith was just glad she couldn't see the light blush on his cheeks.


	30. Chapter 30

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Allura sat in her office, filing through some paperwork that had been on her desk for a while and need to be done by tonight. Her bright blue eyes glared at the agonizing stack of papers in the corner of her desk, next to a photo of her and her father before he had died. She’d heard people say that she looked exactly like her mother before she died in labor, but she thought she looked more like her father. They both had the dark tan skin with bright blues eyes and white hair. The picture showed him and Allura in a field of dark pink flower that they had both nicknamed juniberries. He appeared to be in his late twenties, holding a little toddler version of Allura, who was placing a flower crown on his head. It was her favorite picture. The big tuff looking man having a pink flower crown on top of his head. It made her smile everytime she gazed at it. The white haired women shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand.  _ Come on Allura, you have to focus! I can get these done before he gets here. At least I think I can… _ , she mentally told herself. The white haired women grabbed a rubber band from her drawer and pulled her hair in a high bun, showing off her purple earrings that she had received for Christmas from (y/n). She had worn them everyday since then because of how well they match everything.  _ I should let her go jewelry shopping for my birthday _ , she jokingly thought. Allura grabbed a pen from the cup in front of her computer and began to work on her paperwork. It hadn’t been even a full fifteen minutes before she heard a light knock on the door. Allura turned her head to see Coran opening the door. “Yes?” she asked him. 

“I know you told me not to bother you because you have important work-”

“Unless it was an emergency. So, what's the emergency?”

“Umm, well, I feel bad to bother you, but I’m busy with a meeting in twenty minutes and-”

“Spit it out, Coran!”

“Fine! The new transfer student is here!”

Allura’s pencil dropped.  _ He’s here so soon! I thought he wouldn’t be here for another few days! _ , she thought. Allura stood up, a panicked look on her face. “What are we going to do! I need to do this paperwork, and your meeting is extremely necessary. And Haggar has to stay in the office” She said. Coran’s hand held his chin, a thoughtful look crossing his features. “We could get a student to show him around” he suggested. Allura’s eyes light up. Of course! Why hadn’t she thought of that? “Yes! It would work! We just need someone who is kind, knows the school well so they could give him the tour, and seems approachable,” she listed, counting her fingers as she said the desired characteristics. “And someone who is open-minded, since this is the son of our biggest rival…” she said, now pacing back and forth in her office. “Umm, Allura?” Coran said as she walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in. “I do believe you just described the perfect person to aid us in our problem” he said. Allura looked at him with a confused face. “Who?” she asked. “(Y/n)! If she can end up becoming friends with Keith, I have no doubt she can show the new kid around. And we both know how difficult he can be at times” the ginger told his niece. “Your right Coran, she’s perfect!” Allura said, slamming her fist into her open palm. The white haired women ran out of her office and made her way to the gray haired women sorting papers in the office. “Haggar, I need you to call a student” Allura told her. Haggar glared at her, but agreed nonetheless. Meanwhile, (y/n) was in science class, doing her work in the absolute silence of the room. Today was the day of the science test and she had already finished her own, so she got right to work on the assignments that she had missed in the week before. She was almost done with one of her papers when the schools phone on Shiro’s desk rang out, causing her flinch at the sudden sound.  _ Damn, I have to get that under control _ , she thought. Everybody's heads turned to look at Shiro as he answered the phone. “Hello?” he said. There was a few seconds of silence before he nodded. “Alright, thanks. Have a good day” he said before he hung up and placed the phone back into its place. “(Y/n), they need you in the office” he said. (Y/n) gathered her things, and walked out of the science lab, envious eyes watching her leave. She walked down into the office, where Allura was waiting for her. Down the small hallway that lead to the other rooms, she could see Haggar standing in front of another student, seeming to scold them.  _ Must be someone who broke a rule _ , she thought. “(Y/n)! You’re here! What a relief!” Allura cried, placing her hand over her heart. (Y/n) smiled shyly, placing her stuff in one of the seats. She walked over to her white haired principal, a nervous look on her face. “Umm, am I in trouble?” she asked Allura. “What? Of course not! I just need you to do me a big favor!” Allura said, gripping (y/n)’s shoulders and bringing her in close, wide blue eyes seeming to stare into (y/n)’s own. “Well, what is it?” (y/n) asked. “I need you to give a new student a tour! He’ll be in your grade. Help him with his locker, show him how to log into his school account, sports, all that jazz!” she told her, releasing her from her grip. “All right then, no problem… Where is he?” she asked, looking around the office. At that moment, she heard a voice, a very familiar voice that she heard every day, scold someone. “Lotor, I mean it. I don’t want you causing trouble. Please… for me…” Haggar pleaded. Although she sounded cold and uncaring, she could still detect a hint of worry. (Y/n) heard a sigh, then footsteps walking closer and closer. (Y/n) watched as a tall, well built boy walked into the room. She could tell that he was only a bit older than the rest of her grade. He had tan skin like Allura’s with the same kind of eyes that Haggar had, an orangish yellow. Also like Allura’s, his hair was shock white. But while hers had natural volume to it, his was more controlled and straight, flowing down his back except for the stray hair that fell in front of his face. He wore a black leather jacket, a dark purple t-shirt, and black jeans. And on his back was a dark gray and orange backpack. He seemed to have a confident and charmful aura on him that (y/n) couldn't explain. “(Y/n), Lotor. Lotor, (y/n). Now that everything's taken care of, have fun. If he brakes any rules, give him a warning, but I trust that he won't be trouble?” Allura asked Haggar. The office caretaker shook her head, placing a hand on Lotor’s shoulder. “Alright then, I'll get to work. Thanks again (y/n)” Allura said before she hastily made her way fo her office down the hall. Haggar went to sit down in her seat, grabbing some papers. “Here are you papers Lotor. They include your locker combination, school info, and your schedule,” she said as Lotor grabbed them and made his way to the door, opening it for (y/n). The (h/c) haired girl smiled kindly at him thanking him as she passed. Haggar watched as he walked out of the room with a hopeful look in her eyes. When he closed the door, Haggar slumped into her seat. “Love you, my son” she whispered as she went back to work. Lotor walked in silence, following (y/n) as she walked through the hall. “Wait a minute, where are we even going?” he heard her whisper to herself. “Umm, Lotor? Can I see your papers please?” she quietly asked, almost seeming hesitant. “Of course” he answered as he gave her his papers. She looked at the words, skimming through them. “Locker four nine seven… that down this way…” she said. He followed her as she walked through the hallways without looking up from his papers.  _ She must know every inch of this school. Or at least know it very well _ , he thought. “Here we go. Number four nine seven,” she said, placing her hand on the locker door. “Oh, here's you combination” she said, handing his papers back to him. “Thank you” he said. Lotor walked up to his locker, entering his combination. As he did, he watched (y/n). She was leaning back against the lockers, looking at the ground with a shy look on her face. When Lotor was finally able to open the locker, he put his backpack inside, and they continued the tour. They walked in silence, except for the rooms that (y/n) pointed out. The awkward silence was almost unbearable. Finally, Lotor couldn't take it any longer. “You must be a very shy person” he said. “Hmm?” (y/n) hummed in confusion. “I’m a very observing person, and you seem shy. I’m going to guess you’d rather be in a classroom with people you know, than with a complete stranger” he explained. (Y/n) let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t want to be mean, but yes. I’d rather be in class right now. To be honest, this wasn’t planned out in my day. Kinda a surprise,” the (h/c) haired teen admitted. They walked in silence until a question popped up in (y/n)’s head. “So… Where was your old school?” she asked. Lotor’s eyes widened the slightest bit before he looked down. He hoped he wouldn’t have to tell anyone of his past life, but he couldn’t even catch a break here. “Umm, I umm…” he mumbled. He looked over at (y/n) to see her (e/c) eyes looking at him. Lotor couldn’t explain what he saw in her eyes into words, but he could see the kindness and unbiased light shining in them. “I  _ was _ galra, but my father disowned me. That’s why I came here” he told her. “Oh,” she replied, looking in front of her. Lotor looked down, a slight frown on his face. “Is it true that everyone there is mean? Not that I want to go off of Lance’s gossip here, but I want to know for sure from someone who actually went there for a while” (y/n) said, facing him with a small, nervous smile. The white haired boy looked up in surprised.  _ She’s not going to judge me? That’s it? She’s just going to accept it? _ , he thought. “Well, yes. Everyone’s extremely harsh, especially the teachers. Over there, it's basically victory or death. But there is the rare occasion of a nice teachers, until they get fired” Lotor explained. “Wow, and I thought my gym teacher was tough,” she uttered, causing the white haired boy to laugh. “What?! It’s true! You would’ve thought that we were about to train for the military or something!” she exclaimed, trying not to laugh along with him. It proved to be a tricky task, but she managed by holding her breath until she was red in the face, and couldn’t take another minute. She gasped for air, breathing it in. “Anywho, come on. I have to show you how to get logged into the school computers” she told him, leading him to the computer lab.  _ Maybe it won’t be horrible here _ , Lotor thought as he followed (y/n)’s excited form run through the halls.


	31. Chapter 31

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith walked into the cafeteria while carrying his lunch tray, looking around for his brothers and sisters, and along with, he hoped, (y/n). He had been paying attention when Shiro had said she was needed in the office, and when he saw her walk out of the door, he thought nothing of it until class had ended and she still hadn’t come back. And then he waited for her in the hallways, but he still hadn’t seen her even then. So he eventually thought that she had either done something to land her in the office or would see her again in their English class. Keith took one more look around the room. Sadly, she was nowhere to be found. Even when Keith saw Lance waving his hand in the air, he couldn’t see her. Lance watched as his coal haired brother walked over to their table, his grayish purple eyes darting around. When Keith made it over to the table, he placed his tray down and started to open his milk carton. “She’s not here bud” Lance said. “Yeah, I can see that” Keith said in a bored voice. “Do you think she had to go home for some reason?” Hunk asked them, a worried look on his face. Pidge sucked down the rest of her apple juice, a loud slurping noise to go with it while she held her pointer finger up, telling them to wait a second. Once she had downed her juice, the hazel eyed girl wiped her mouth and spoke. “No, I saw her in the hallways, but she was showing some guy around,” Pidge told them. At hearing Pidge’s words, Keith froze on the spot. The coal haired boy’s heart felt like it had either skipped several beats, or stopped beating altogether.  _ She was with a guy? _ , he thought angrily. The grip he had on his spoon was tightening by the second. He wouldn’t be surprised if he bended it soon.“I think it has something to do with why she was called down. Maybe he’s a new kid” she continued. The rest of the group nodded in agreement, except for Keith. He was feeling too angry to even make a single movement.  _ Why is she showing a random guy around? Couldn’t someone else have done it? I mean, whoever he is, could have been a mass murderer for all she knows. While she’s laughing at a joke, he could be planning her death… _ , Keith thought. “Keith!” Lance yelled in his ear, shocking the coal haired boy. Keith held his hand to his ringing ear, glaring at Lance. “What the fuck Lance! What is so important that you need to yell and scream?!” Keith growled at his younger brother. “Well, if you had answered me before, then I would have had to yell. So pay attention. But what's got you acting so weird?” Lance asked him. Keith glared at the blue eyed boy. “Nothing” he said, shoving food in his mouth and looking away from him. “Hey, guys!” a familiar voice called out. Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge turned towards the source to see (y/n) walking towards them. Lance scooted over on the bench to make room for his friend. “Can you make a little more room? I brought another friend” (y/n) said. “New friend? Who is it?” Lance asked. (Y/n) looked behind her to see Lotor just walk up to the table. “I’d like you all to meet Lotor! He’s new here and doesn’t know anyone yet, so I kinda told him he could sit with us if he wanted to” she said sweetly, sitting down in the space that Lance had made. Lotor sat next to her, right across from Keith. The said teen glared at the white haired boy across from him with a fiery anger he didn’t even know was there. He even dared to think that Lotor was making him more angry than Lance had in his entire life! He could feel his heart beating painfully, like it was getting too be for his chest. And the grip on his spoon was starting to leave marks on his hand. What the hell is wrong with him?! Lotor didn’t even do anything yet to him yet! So how could someone he hadn’t even met or talked to piss him off so much?  _ Calm down Keith… The sun's getting real low big guy. Maybe he’s a nice guy _ , Keith thought, taking a silent deep breath. The whole table was in complete silence. Lance’s ocean blue eyes looked around the cafeteria, trying to ignore the awkwardness in the air. “Soooo… What school did you go to before you came here, umm, L'oreal… I think?” Lance said, unsure of himself. “It’s Lotor actually. But to answer your question, I was galra until I had to transfer schools” told him calmly.  _ Never mind. He’s horrible. Screw giving people chances, he can’t be trusted. What is (y/n) thinking! _ , Keith thought. He looked around frantically, trying to find something that could help him out in his little situation. Then, he spotted his own saving grace. His holy grail, his saviour. It was the old clock that hung off of the wall and above the doorway to the school halls.  _ Three minutes away from English! _ , he thought with a sudden wave of random happiness and determination crashing over him. “Well, we gotta get to class, (y/n) and I. You know, cause we got class starting pretty soon!” Keith said, standing up and walking over to (y/n). The (h/c) haired girl looked at him with a confused expression as he pulled her out of her seat, leading her away from the table. “Keith, class doesn’t start for-”. “It never hurts to be early!” he exclaimed, rushing her out of the cafeteria. “But I still have to show Lotor around the school. He hasn’t seen the gym or the library yet” (y/n) told him. Keith scowled, his heart beating faster at her words. He had never wanted to punch someone's face as much as he did at the moment. “You skipped the whole day of school just to show some guy around?” he asked disapprovingly. (Y/n) looked down, ashamed. It wasn’t necessarily what he said, more of the tone he said it in. He made her sound like what she was doing something bad… He sounded like how Nyma spoke to her, like she was a lower being. She looked up at Keith with a hateful fire in her eyes. “You make it sound like I’m some two-bit hooker! I’m just showing a new kid around the school for Allura. He’s a nice guy, not mean at all! Only if you give him a reason to be mad!” (y/n) said, stopping in her tracks, her hands balling into fists at her sides. Keith’s eyes widened as he let out a gasp. “What?! No! I didn’t mean it like that! (Y/n)-”. “Don’t (y/n) me. That hurts Keith. I don’t know why you're mad, or what's on your mind. But when you can be nicer, then you can talk to me again!” she burst out, turning around and stomping towards the cafeteria. Keith stared at her as she walked away. The second she disappeared from his sight, he felt like utter shit.  _ You screwed up bigtime you fucking idiot… _ , he thought as he racked his fingers through his coal colored hair. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m sorry he said that to you (y/n)” Lotor said as he walked next to the (h/c) haired girl. It had been about ten minutes after lunch, and (y/n) had just finished ranting to the white haired teen about her conversation with Keith. “It’s not your fault Lotor, he’s the one who said it” she told him, looking down at the ground with sad (e/c) eyes. Her heart felt heavy, like it weighed as much as the world itself. Keith had said hurtful things to her before, if not, harsher words. Heck, it was how they had met in the first place. But it hurt more than it did before, like he had just stabbed her stomach.  _ Why does it hurt so much? It’s not like he flat out insulted me… But it still hurts _ , she thought as images of his face ran through her mind. The way his eye seemed to judge her… “He doesn't seem like a great friend to me” Lotor commented. (Y/n)’s head snapped up, wide eyes and shocked face. “What? No! He’s a great friend! He helped keep me warm during Christmas Eve, he made me smile when I was really sad, plus he saved me from drowning” she said, the memory of when she hugged Keith for the first time during the holidays flashing in her mind. Her heart gave an initial thump, speeding up. And she could feel herself starting to smile. “Well, then he must be looking out for you. Don’t think I didn’t see the looks your friends gave me when I told them I came from Daibazaal. I don’t think there's another person here who would see me as kind” he told her. “Well, at least they care. Granted Keith could've done so in a different way, but he’s Keith. He’s all anger and “I’ll just use my fists!” kind of guy sometimes,” (y/n) said, walking ahead up to a pair of double doors. The doors were a dark brown color, with student paintings on it. Some were magical, some were space, and some were just abstract. (Y/n)’s eyes began to sparkle just by looking at it. “Here is the most beautiful room in the whole school,” she said, reaching for the doorknob. “It’s the library! It was the first room built here, and it’s even a bit bigger than the town library. We even have those sliding ladders that used to be in the fantasy movies!” she said excitedly, opening the door and walking into the library. The library was a spacious room, but not giant. It was just enough to seem like a big room. The ceiling, however, made it seem like a tower. It seemed to be as high as two floors, with bookshelves going as high as two thirds up. And like (y/n) had said, there were sliding ladders along them so students could get to other books faster. “It’s the greatest Library I may have ever seen in my entire life…” Lotor mumbles. “Just don’t let the librarian catch you using the ladders for fun. But she’s never here for some reason, she’s always in the teacher's lounge” she told him. “So we can do that now?” the white haired teen asked. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt” (y/n) said as she started to run towards the ladders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why do I have to check on him?” Lance asked Shiro, who was pushing him towards the backyard. “Because Lance, I told you. I already tried. He won’t talk to me” the scarred man told the blue eyed boy. “And you think he’ll talk to me?” Lance asked, a skeptical look in his eyes. Shiro huffed at his child behavior. “Well, your my last hope here. And you don’t get dinner until Keith comes inside again” Shiro said, pushing him outside their door and locking it. Lance turned around, banging on the door. “Shiro? Shiro! Come on man! This isn’t fair!” Lance exclaimed. “Life's not fair!” Shiro’s voice said from behind the door. “Uuuuuuggggghhhh!” Lance groaned, stomping down the steps and into the backyard. As he walked closer to the woods, he could faintly see the red jacket that Keith always wore through the branches of the tall tree. There was snow on the ground, but it wasn’t as thick, and it was kinda wet as expected, since the earth was getting ready to leave winter. But it was supposed to snow again tonight, so Lance didn’t get his hopes up. Keith was sitting in the higher branches of the tree, memories flooding his mind.

_ “That hurts Keith. I don’t know why you're mad, or what's on your mind. But when you can be nicer, then you can talk to me again!” _

Keith buried his face in his hands. “What the hell is wrong with you…” he mumbled to himself. “Whoa!” Lance cried, causing Keith to jump, almost falling off the giant branch he sat on. The coal haired boy turned around with wide eyes to see Lance climbing the tall tree that he was in. It was easy to tell that Lance had almost fallen. His ocean blue eyes were wide with fear, and his arms had small scratches on them. “H-hey, Keith my man! Mind helping me so I don’t fall to my death?” Lance asked with a semi-shaky breath. Keith nodded his head, reaching out a hand for Lance to grab. His brother immediately took it, gripping it like it was his lifeline. Lance pulled himself up, soon sitting next to Keith looking out in the direction he was. The sun was setting, sending off a orangish glow on everything. In addition to the sun and sky, Lance would have thought he was looking at half of the town from where he was sitting. An awkward silence was placed over Keith and Lance, neither one of them wanting to say something, but both wanting to end it at the same time.

“Thanks for not letting me die”

“No problem Lance”

“...”

“...”

“So…”

“So, what?”

“How was your day?”

“Shiro sent you up here, didn't he?”

“Said I couldn’t eat dinner until you came down, so start talking” Lance told him, giving Keith a authoritative look. Well, to Keith it looked like the brown haired boy was trying to blow him up with his mind. Crazy and unreasonable. “No. I don’t want to talk about it with anyone” Keith said, looking sideways, avoiding Lance’s eyes. “What! Come on! I’m starving here man!” Lance exclaimed. After seeing that Keith was going to be stubborn about this, he let out the air in his lungs, annoyed by his older brother. Then, his eyes light up as an idea came to mind. “Keith,” Lance said, tapping the said teens shoulder. “Keith… Keith… Keith… Keith, Keith,” Lance said, watching the coal haired boy for any reaction possible. A smug smile grew on the blue eyed teens face as he watched his brother’s eyebrows knit together, and he could’ve sworn he saw his eye twitch one time. “Keith!” Lance exclaimed, tapping him one final time before Keith’s biker gloved hands caught Lance’s tan finger in one swift motion. A nervous look took over Lance’s smug expression. “Hey n-now, we’re brothers! You know, amigos!” Lace said nervously. Keith glared at him, not even wanting to deal with him at the moment. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone?” he asked, raking his hands through his coal black hair. “Yes, but you have to come down for dinner” Lance said. “Alright, fine… Me and (y/n) had a fight” Keith said, looking down at the tip of his boots. “That’s it? You’ve had lots of fights before. What's so different about this one?” Lance asked, shifting in his seat so he could sit more comfortably. And so, Keith explained what had happened after he had dragged her out of the cafeteria. It was difficult once he got to what (y/n) had said before he left, but he managed to get the story out. “I don’t get it! I was just looking out for her! Like I do for you guys” Keith said, quickly adding that last bit if his sentence. “I won’t deny that you did a good thing. I hate Lotor, and I didn’t mispronounce his name on accident either,” Lance said, smirking at the last words of his sentence. Keith had a small smile on his face, knowing that at least someone agreed with him. “But I want you to know, you need to do a better job at looking out for people. I would have slapped you, not told you off. We can’t tell (y/n) she can’t be friends with him, it’s not right. That's her decision. What you need to do, is take her advice, and nicely apologize” Lance explained. Keith’s smile dropped at Lance’s speech, making his face contort on protest. “But-”. “No buts. Apologize nicely, or kiss your friendship goodbye” Lance said. “Uuuggghhh,” Keith groaned, shoving his hands in his pockets. He never thought he'd actually agree with Lance of all people, but Keith knew he was right. He had to apologize. (Y/n) deserved that much at the least. “Fine, I'll say I'm sorry tomorrow. I’m going to eat dinner” Keith growled, climbing down from the tree. Lance smiled victoriously, leaning against the tree trunk. “I, am a advice expert” he said to himself.


	32. Chapter 32

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith walked into school, moving a little faster than usual. His grayish purple eyes were flashing in a million different directions every second, looking for the head of familiar (h/c) hair he had come to know by heart. His coal colored hair was messy since he didn’t care to comb his hair this morning. He only took a thirty second shower, ate a piece of bread, grabbed his red jacket, and ran out to the car and drove his family there early. Shiro, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge knew it was bad if he barely ate, seeing as his goal in life was to see if he could literally inhale food. He knew she’d be here early, she has been for most of the year. And he should know, since she dragged him there almost every morning for almost a month now. But would she still be there? _ Well, only one way to find out _ , Keith thought as he dashed down the halls, eager to reach (y/n). Finally, Keith arrived in front of the beautifully painted door he was looking for. Keith’s hand reached out to turn the knob, but he couldn’t touch it. What if she was still mad? What if she didn’t want to talk to him ever again? “Stop being a wuss,” Keith told himself out loud, forcing his hand to wrap itself around the doorknob. “Just go in there, apologize, and everything will straighten out… Hopefully” Keith mumbled, opening the door and walking into the library. It wasn’t usually a bright room in the morning, but thanks to the vibrant pink and orange from the early sunrise, it was fairly well lit. Keith walked into the library, closing the door softly behind him. It was dead silent as normal archives should be, but even then there was the normal sound of pages turning, soft footsteps moving around the floors, or, in their schools case, the loud creaking sound of the ladders. Keith walked further into the library, focusing all his senses for any sign of (y/n) being here. At that moment, Keith heard a creaking noise behind one of the wall of bookshelves. His heart heart leaped out of his chest right then and there. The coal haired boy ran to the direction where the sound came from. “(Y/n)!” Keith exclaimed as he ran to the other side of the shelf. But his heart dropped when he saw that it was only the old librarian. “Would you shut up! It’s a library” she whispered loudly, glaring at him. “Sorry” he said, turning away, his eyes holding a downcast look in them as his smile curved downward. The librarian glared at him, shoving one final book into its place, and making her way to leave the library. Keith started to walk away from the librarian with a heavy heart, his head hanging slightly. “Hey, where are you going?” a voice asked from behind him. Keith’s head shot up, recognizing the familiar voice instantly. He whipped his head around to see (y/n), standing beside a shelf with a pile of books in her arms, from her waist to her chin. “(Y/n)!” Keith called as he ran to her. (Y/n) stared at him as he came closer and closer to where she stood. “I see you finally came to your senses,” she said as she walked away from him and towards one of the ladders. He watched as she climbed the ladder, the wooden steps creaking loudly under her weight. There was no doubt that they were old as dirt, but (y/n) never encountered the problem of one of the steps braking from under her, so she wasn’t going to worry about it now. Keith watched as she skillfully moved from side to side on the ladders wheels, while going higher up, and down lower as she looked for the right spot to put her books away. What was a simple task to her, was like a graceful act to Keith. “Well, I’m waiting” (y/n) told him as she slid down the old ladder in a matter of seconds and walked right up to him. Keith sighed, looking down. “(Y/n), I’m sorry. I was being a big jerk, and didn’t think before I acted. Can you forgive me for being hot-headed dick?” Keith asked, his eyes so full of hope that the (h/c) haired girl was surprised it wasn’t already bursting out of him. (Y/n) smiled kindly at him, moving towards him so she could hug him. She pulled him close to her, her arms wrapped tightly around him with her cheek against his chest. Her heart felt lighter and started to beat faster when he did the same and wrapped his arms around her. (Y/n) felt like she could have stayed like this forever. But she had to pull away at some point. So with a pang in her heart, she pulled away from Keith, and walked over to the ladder, steadily climbing it to the highest she could go, and started browsing for the book she desired. “I’m going to take that as a yes?” Keith asked, a sliver of a smirk on his face. “Gee, you think?” (y/n) asked sarcastically. “Well, you could have felt bad for me, but I figured that’s a long shot” Keith joked. (Y/n) softly laughed at him, causing Keith to smile. “So, why were you so mad anyway?” she asked. Keith looked at her with a surprised expression. “You show up at our table after not seeing you all day with a  _ galra _ student! They don’t have they’re bad reputation for nothing (y/n). I was only looking out for you,” Keith told her. Her heart leaped at his words, but they also irritated her at the same time. How it was possible, she didn’t know. “ _ Used _ to be galra. Say it with me,  _ used _ to be. He was disowned by his own father and came here for a fresh start. What was I supposed to do, steer clear of him?”she asked him, her voice echoing in the empty library. “Yes! It could have saved us this argument” Keith told her, moving so he stood beneath her, leaning against the bookshelf. “Keith,” she said, gaining his attention. “If I gave you a second chance, doesn't he deserve one too?” she asked him seriously. “No!” he answered without a moment's hesitation as memories of (y/n) and Lotor sitting next to each other bubbling to the surface of his mind, causing him to feel angry. _ Stop it! You have little to no reason to be angry, and you just apologized. Remember what idiot Lance said… _ , Keith mentally told himself. “Well, whether you think so or not, I’m going to be friends with him” she told him firmly. She stood up as tall as she could, even though she was already above him, and balanced herself on the step on which she stood. With all her weight being supported by one little step, it started to crack. It was heard by them both. The loud noise silenced them, causing them to freeze in their place.

“Keith…”

“Yeah?”

“Is that what I think it is?”

“God, I really hope not”

(Y/n) looked down to see that the old wooden step was indeed starting to break from under her. Suddenly, it snapped, creating a breaking point, but not completely severing the wood.  _ Here I go again, falling through something _ , she thought just as the step snapped in half. Because of the space between the ladder steps, she fell right in between them. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes as she felt the wind fly through her (h/c) hair. (Y/n) closed her eyes, preparing to hit the hard floor. But she never hit it, not even close. In fact, she didn’t feel anything.  _ Oh no… I’m dead! _ , she thought nervously. She cautiously opened her eyes, afraid she would be blinded by a bright light. Keith watched as she slowly opened her eyes to see him holding her in a bridle position, her sides pressed against his chest as she had her arm wrapped around his neck, nearly choking him. He watched as her breathing slowly went from fast and heavy, back to a more controlled and normal rate. Worry immediately crashed through him, flooding his very being. “Are you ok?! You’re not hurt?! Why are you always falling from something?! First the ice, and now ladders! I’m taking you to the office!” he exclaimed, talking so fast, he might as well have been an auctioneer. (Y/n) groaned and slapped the back of his head, not hard enough to actually hurt him, only enough to knock some sense into him. “Keith, I’m fine! Now stop freaking out!” she told him. Listening to her words, Keith calmed down and took a deep breath. (Y/n) sighed and relaxed. It was at that moment that she took in the position they were in, and a bright red blush appeared on her face. (Y/n) immediately let go if the coal haired boys neck, confusing him, and jumped out of his arms. “Ummm, I, uh, have to go to the, the, bathroom! Yeah! So I’ll see you later, bye!” she exclaimed nervously, grabbing her backpack and rushing out of the library, her heart rate increasing by the second as a smile started to grow and her blush practically started to glow. Keith stared after her, a dazed look in his face. He didn’t get it? Was it something he said, or maybe something he did? He didn’t think he did anything wrong. Then he thought about how he had caught her, held her even, and a light blush dusted his face. Shaking his head to get rid if the giddy feeling, he went over to his backpack, which had fallen off when he dashed to save her from a nasty hospital trip. He slide his backpack onto his back, and walked out of the archive. The room was dead silent, until a certain tall, ocean blue eyed teen came crashing out from his hiding place. His other raven haired brother and hazel eyes sister following his example.


	33. Chapter 33

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Lance groaned in pain, the feeling of being crushed by not one, but two people, squished him to the floor. “Hunk! Pidge!” Lance exclaimed, his voice raspy from the lack of air. “Get off of me!” he choked out. “Oh, sorry Lance” Hunk said, getting off of his brother and causing Pidge to fall to the floor. “Geez Hunk, remember the little people” she scolded him, rubbing the back of her head. “I said I was sorry!” Hunk told her. Lance stood up, taking deep, and dramatic, breaths of air. “I can breath,” he said, leaning against the side of a bookshelf. Pidge stood up, helping Hunk off of the floor by pulling him up. Once her raven haired brother was steady on his feet, she brushed the small amount of dust off of her green and white shirt, and lifted her head to look up at Lance. “So, why did we spy on Keith and (y/n) again? I mean, playing spy is fun every once in awhile, but it didn’t make sense this time” she said, folding her arms across her chest. Lance stared at her, not doing anything else. He only looked at her with a blank expression. Hunk raised an eyebrow at his brothers behavior. “Umm, Lance… Are you ok?” he asked. “How can you not have seen it!” Lance suddenly exclaimed, shocking them. He even managed to get Pidge to jump what must have been four feet in the air. “S-see what?” she asked nervously. Straightening out her glasses, which had fallen down her nose. “Ok, I have a theory. It’s a pretty obvious theory, and I’m ten hundred percent sure that I’m right about it” he said. Pidge stared at him with skeptical hazel eyes.

“So, you're one thousand percent sure?”

“No, ten hundred”

“Exactly, one thousand”

“I know my hundreds Pidge, there's three zeros after the ten!”

“That’s ten thousand, you idiot!”

“Stop questioning my math skills and listen!”

Pidge rolled her eyes at Lance and his so-called, “math skills”.  _ I have to get this guy some help, or else he’s going to need summer school _ , she thought. “Anyway, as I was saying, I have a theory” Lance said. Hunk’s eyes lit up like the fourth of July at Lance’s words. “Ooo! Is it the one where Keith is half alien? Because I think I may have some more proof on that one!” Hunk said, his hand raised in the air. “No, but we’ll get to that later big guy,” Lance said, causing Hunk to deflate his excitement. “What I’m talking about is Keith. Specifically (y/n) and Keith” Lance said. “What about them?” Pidge asked. “Haven’t you noticed that they’d gotten more close?” the blue eyed boy asked her. Pidge lifted her hand to her chin, thinking about his words. “Well, yeah. But they’re friends. It’s not like they're going to stop becoming closer all of a sudden. That’s not how time works” she said. “Exactly! And don’t you think it’s weird how Keith got mad at Lotor for no real reason? I mean, I know he has really strong walls, but he barely talked to L’oreal and already hated him” Lance said, his eyes becoming wider the longer he explained himself. “We all hate him Lance” Hunk said, a disgusted look on his face. “I know, but Keith wanted to beat the living shit out of him. Not to mention he got (y/n) away from Lotor as fast as he could. Doesn’t that say anything to you?” Lance asked.

“No”

“Not really”

Lance groaned. How could they not see his point? It was so painfully obvious! It was to him, at least.  _ They can’t be that clueless _ , Lance thought. “Oh my- Keith has a crush on (y/n)! And I may even think it’s only starting to become more than one-sided, but I’ll need to observe (y/n) more-”. “Wait wait wait wait, wait. Back up,” Hunk said, holding his hands up in a halt position. “Your saying that Keith has a crush on (y/n), and she might be starting to feel the same?” he asked Lance. The said teen shook his head repeatedly. “Yeah! And-”. “HOLY FUCKING SHIT I’M DUMB AS A BOX OF LANCES!” Pidge all but screamed, scaring her brothers. “Hey, what do you mean, “a box of Lance’s”?” the blue eyed boy asked. But Pidge only ignored him. “How did I not see this before! It’s all there, just wideout in the open. I don’t even think Keith himself realises it” Pidge said. “So, now what?” Hunk asked. “We’re going to observe some more. If we’re wrong about this and act on it, it’s going to end bad” she said. At that moment, the bell rang out, telling them that class was about to start. Lance sighed, a big smile on his face. “Come on, we gotta go” he said. And so, the three of them made their way to the science lab, just barely reaching their seats before the bell rang. Keith watched as they scrambled into their seats. “What kept you guys away?” he asked. “Umm,” Hunk said, receiving warning glares from Lance and Pidge. “A conspiracy theory about… Aliens” Hunk said, obviously unsure about his answer. But it seemed to be enough for Keith, who shrugged his shoulders. Keith went back to pretending to listen to their conversation, but was distracted by a certain (h/c) haired girl at the table across from him. She was reading her book as usual, and her classmates were happily chatting away, taking no notice of her. But the classroom suddenly went quiet as Shiro walked into class, Lotor not long behind him. Keith let out a low growl, popping his knuckles as he gave Lotor a dirty look. The white haired teen gave Keith a glare, seeming to feel the same.  _ I guess I have my first enemy here _ , Lotor thought as he followed Shiro to the front of the class. Lotor could see students talking about him and giving him glances. Some worried and cautious, and some were hateful and angry. It was the very least he expected. News of where he came from spread like wildfire, and he had been reluctant to even walk into the halls today. As he scanned the room, his orangish yellow eyes fell on (y/n), who was quietly reading in the background. “Alright, listen up,” Shiro called out, gaining everyone's attention. “We have a new student today and we’ll have to switch seats due to his arrival. Now, I want you all to be nice to him, and treat him kindly” Shiro told them as he pulled out a clipboard. Shiro cleared his throat, and started to call out names while pointing to seat in lad stations. “Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and Keith,” he said after a few minutes of walking around the classroom. The four siblings obliged, sitting down in their new seats. Keith looked up, seeing where (y/n)’s new seat was. He felt a tap on his shoulder to see (y/n) sitting right behind him. A smile crept onto his face as he turned back around. “Lotor, since all the other tables are filled, you and (y/n) will be at a together” the scarred man said as he walked back to his desk. At Shiro’s words, Keith nearly choked on air, his heart going flat. He whipped his head around to see Lotor taking the seat diagonally across from (y/n). One look into the others eyes and they could tell they would not be getting along anytime soon. The white haired boy glared at Keith. He may have come from a cut-throat school, but he at least respected his friend's choices. No one deserves to be treated like their lower than someone else.  _ Why can’t she see that? _ , Lotor thought as his eyes narrowed. In the short span of time that he had known (y/n), he could already see that she was the pristine example of loyalty and kindness, yet didn’t take shit from anyone. Lotor had already been treated like the lowest life form on Earth, which eventually lead to his disownment.  _ And it’s not like he’s one to talk. Isn’t he the famous rebel that I’ve heard about. He’s even considered a threat in Daibazaal High. At least he gave Sendak a run for his money when he snuck to their school on their homecoming game _ , Lotor thought. One of the first things he heard, more like eavesdropped on, was about Keith, their school rebel. How he was the last person to piss off, how he nearly sent some students to the hospital, there was even a rumor that said he carried a weird dagger on him at all times. Keith glared at Lotor one last time before he changed his gazed to focus on the (h/c) haired girl behind him who was reading her book intensely, biting her nails. It was at that moment he vowed to forever look after her. Of course, not a single moment went unnoticed by Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. Smirks plastered on their faces. Lance turned to look at them, with a unmistakable I-was-right-from-the-beginning face. Pidge knew this face, it was rare, but she could tell what he was saying without any words needed. Now that she was made aware of it, it was painfully obvious that Keith had fallen,  _ hard _ . He just had to realise it before (y/n) was snatched away from him. But she felt like she need to watch (y/n) and how she acted. But based on how her face was like a glowing strawberry this morning from Keith holding her like freaking princess, Pidge guessed that (y/n) was only starting out on a crush.  _ Well, this is going to be fun _ , the hazel eyed girl thought as she saw (y/n) sneak a glance at the coal haired boy behind her. A soft blush appeared on her cheeks and she turned back to her book.  _ Very fun _ , Pidge thought.


	34. Chapter 34

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) looked around the almost unoccupied sidewalks of Altea, the cool morning sun shining on her. She was walking that morning on account of simply waking up earlier than usual. So, instead of sleeping in a bit more, she decided to get ready anyway. The ground was semi-wet from the frost that was covering the sidewalk and metal lamp posts but had melted due to the rising temperature. Spring had started to come early this year, since it usually wasn’t due for another month. The snow was near non-existent and according to the weatherman on the radio, it would be gone by the end of next week. She wasn’t that far from her school, only five more minutes to go. She looked up and saw the street crossing light switched over to the hand, making her halt her steps just before the street and watch as the cars all raced by.  _ I could be driving, I just have to be able to scrap some money for driver training. But even then, will I even be able to drive her car without breaking down? _ , she thought as the dashed across the street once the hand turned into a walking person on the light. (Y/n) had done what her beloved grandmother figure asked her to do and sold most of the stuff she had owned. But there were some things that she couldn’t help but hold onto. Like the beautiful clothes that Mrs. Bailarín said she’d look beautiful in, or the countless photos that she had stored away, or even a couple pieces of jewelry that she would always wear. But she couldn’t sell the “automobile” that Mrs. Bailarín drove so much. She couldn’t sell the car that drove her to her first friends house. She couldn’t sell that car that helped her arrive the homecoming, the diner, even the doctors once in the middle of the night because her health was more important than sleep to the very women who owned it. If she sold it, it was like getting rid of a big piece of her memories. So, (y/n) was going to keep it until she could drive. If she could even get the money to anyway. But for now she’d be perfectly fine walking. (Y/n) walked up to the doors of the high school, walking through the office. Haggar didn’t seem to mind her like she normally did. In fact, ever since she had befriended Lotor, her son, (y/n) hadn’t been yelled at by her. As (y/n) walked through the hallway, her eyes wandered around, looking for a certain head of coal colored hair with grayish purple eyes. (Y/n) frowned when she saw no sign of him. Sighing, she started to make her way to the library. The walk there was quiet, excepted for the footsteps that she heard.  _ Wait a minute, where did the extra pair come from _ , she thought, putting her guard up and all her senses focusing on the extra person. All of a sudden, a hand wasover her mouth as she was lifted off the ground. A scream ripped through her mouth, but it was muffled. Her fight or flight instinct instincts kicked in, and she bit down on the hand as hard as she could. 

“Ow ow ow ow ow ow!”

(Y/n) was dropped to the ground, a soft thud made as a result. Knowing that she couldn’t just sit here, (y/n) stood up with her fisted help up. She stood up, and threw her first punch, hitting the person square in the stomach and sent a kick to where the sun don’t shine. The person fell to his knees, holding his stomach in his arms. (Y/n) took deep breaths, calming her heart as it beat loudly in her chest. As she looked down at the person, she took in the familiar tan skin, and the shock white hair…  _ Wait a minute… _ , she thought. (Y/n) kneeled down to their level, trying to see their face. “Lotor?” she asked. “Yes?” he replied, his voice rough and raspy. “Oh my god! That was a mean thing to do, you jerk! You, you… Asshole!” she exclaimed, standing up with her hands on her hips. “I thought it would be fun to trick you. Give you a scare,” he explained. “But, it didn’t go as I had planned…” he said, slowly standing up. Pain was written all over his face, and Lotor was doing everything he could to hold back tears. He kept an arm wrapped around his stomach, the look in the girls eyes before him scaring him to his very core. “A-and you thought you could scare me by pretending to play kidnapper?!” she yelled, glaring at him. “No, it was meant to be harmless. But you clearly didn’t get the memo- Where on earth did you learn to kick like that?!” he asked. (Y/n) blushed lightly, turning away from him, failing. “I learned from Keith. He said that since I walk through town, I should learn to protect myself” she said, memories flying through her head. 

_ “Keith! I yield! I yield!” (y/n) exclaimed, patting his shoulder. Keith released her from the joint hold he had on her, causing (y/n) to fall to her knees. (Y/n) got right up though, dusting off her legs. Keith had taken it upon himself to teach her in the ways of, as he put it, “self-defense and kicking ass”. He had already taught her how and where to punch and kick, and some different holds that she could do with her as an example. “Alright, let's try to teach you how to hit something with a weapon” Keith said. His hands moved to tighten his jacket which was tied around his waist. His eye scanned the area, looking for something to use. “Umm, oh! Here we go” he said as he walked over and grabbed a stick that was at least half of (y/n)’s height. He walked back over to her, placing it in her hands. “Alright, I want you to hold it like a baseball bat,” he told her. (Y/n) did as she was told, and gripped the stick like she was holding a baseball. Keith circled around her, checking her posture. (Y/n) stood there, standing still.  _ Is he going to say something or what? And what is he, half vulture? _ , she thought. Suddenly, she felt Keith’s back pressed against her own, and his arms moved so they were outside her own and gripping the stick. A bright pink blush painted her face, and she looked straight ahead, hoping he couldn’t see. “What are you doing?!” she asked him, her voice filled with nervousness and a touch of embarrassment. She could practically feel him smirking behind her. “This is how I was taught, and it’s how you will be too,” he told her, fixing the positions her hands were in so that they were correctly holding the stick. Despite the usual biker gloves he wore, she could feel the soft calluses on his hands. “Now we’re just going to practice some basic moves. I’m pretty good with stuff like this, so you're in good hands” he told her, blushing an even brighter pink than (y/n). Not that he was going to let her see it though. He’d  _ die _ before that happened. _

“(Y/n)? (Y/n)? (Y/n)!” Lotor exclaimed, shaking her shoulders. (Y/n) snapped out of her dazed, shaking her head to clear her head. “What?” she asked. “You spaced out for a minute there” he told her. “Oh, well, I’m just really mad at you!” she said before she started to walk away. “(Y/n), wait!” he exclaimed as he ran after her. Just as he was getting close, the bell rang and students were filling in the hallway, helping (y/n) escape.

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Lance watched as (y/n) walked in the science lab, a mad look on her face. “Wow, I haven’t seen her that pissed in a long time” he said. He, Hunk, and Pidge were standing in front of Shiro’s desk, the said man sitting in his chair with a taken aback look on his face. “Hey, back to this Lance,” he said, sitting up. “Our Keith? Are you sure?” he asked. “Did you not just hear a word we told you?!” Lance asked. “No, I heard you guys, it’s just… Wow. And Lance noticed this before any of us?” he asked. “Why is it so hard to believe that I noticed something amazing before anyone else! I mean, I flirt a lot, so I can recognize this kind of stuff. Hell, I played matchmaker for homecoming for three different couples!” Lance told them. Shiro sighed. “We’ll talk more about this later, get to your seats” he told them. The trio listened to him and headed back to their seats. Keith watched as they sat down with him. “So, why is she mad?” Hunk asked. “Lotor scared her really bad. Lucky, she used the self-defense moves I taught her and punched him in the stomach, and where it hurts most” Keith said, a smirk on his face. “Well you seem happy” Pidge said. “Well, we all hate him. And I got to tell her “I told you so” since she said she’d probably  _ never _ use those moves I taught her” Keith explained. Lance stared at Keith for a few seconds, making his older brother feel self conscious.

“That’s all?”

“Yup”

“No other reason?”

“Yes Lance”

“Alrighty then” Lance said with a skeptical look. Lotor walked into the classroom, sitting in his seat. He looked at (y/n) to see her completely ignore his presence. “(Y/n), I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to actually scare you that bad” he said. “I don’t care! You don’t scare someone like that. I’m going to not deal with it, or you, and pay attention to class” she told, looking towards the board where Shiro was beginning his lecture. Lotor huffed out a deep breath, and turned his head. Keith looked at Shiro with a minuscule smile on face. The rest of the day went by quicker than usual. He didn’t show it, of course. He wasn’t the type of person that liked to be “read”. He like to hide physical evidence of what he would feel, rather than wear his heart on his sleeve. But he felt happy on the inside, despite the bored expression on his face. Even as he was standing at his locker, getting whatever he’d need for his next class. As the hot-headed teen tucked his binders under his one arm, he closed his locker. Keith walked through the halls, avoiding students, and students avoiding him. It was something he had gotten used to, but there was still that occasional instance where he’d get knocked over. And today would be one of those instances. Keith was running down the hall when he suddenly ran right into someone, knocking him over flat on his back. His head smacked down right onto the tile, a searing pain shooting through his head. Keith sat up, rubbing the back of his head. The coal haired boy look in front of him with an angry look in his eyes. As Keith moved his bangs out of the way, his gaze increased ten fold when he saw Lotor sitting up in front of him. “It’s you” Keith mumbled. “I can say the same for you” he replied, glaring at Keith. Keith sighed and leaned forward to pick up his stuff that scattered everywhere. Lotor did the same, picking up papers as the students around them just walked around them. They both picked up their binders and papers, silently sending hateful looks at each other. As the two boys picked up the last of their things, they stood up. “Do us a favor Lotor, stay away from (y/n)” Keith said. “As I recall, your the one who judged her because she was acting kind on my behalf” Lotor said. “Well, at least I didn’t scare her to the point where she felt like she had to fight” Keith snapped, heated acrimony filling his veins. Lotor narrowed his orangish yellow eyes at him.  _ Of course she told him. Not that I’m that surprised _ , he thought. “I have class. Goodbye, for now” he said, walking towards Keith, harshly bumping his shoulder as he walked past him. It was as if something in Keith was lit on fire like a nuclear bomb went off inside him. Not giving himself time to think, Keith rushed over and shoved Lotor as hard as he could. The white haired teen stopped in his steps, his eyes going wide with shock. Keith watched as Lotor slowly turned around, and walked towards him. Keith didn’t feel fear. Even as Lotor, who was taller than him, walked towards him with a dangerous look in his eyes. Keith wasn’t short, but Lotor still towered over him.  _ It’s fine, I’ve fought bigger _ , he thought. Lotor stood right in front of Keith. “Do you really want to do this,  _ Keith _ ?” Lotor asked him, shoving the coal haired teen back. Keith glared at him, his hands clenched into fists. “That depends on you” Keith spat out. Glaring at him, Keith moved to walk away.  _ Just walk, don’t do it. Just. Walk _ , he told himself over and over again in his head. Lotor looked at him and stuck his foot out, tripping Keith and casing him to fall forward, his school stuff falling into a messy pile next to him. Lotor smirked as he watched Keith’s hands shaking, just itching for something to punch. Keith stood up, a hurricane of fury in his eyes. “You know, I hate your dad a lot. But even I can see myself siding with him to-”. Keith never got the chance to finish the sentence when Lotor punched him right across the face. Keith instantly held up his fists to the side of his head, dodging as Lotor tried to strike another blow. Neither of them registered the growing crowd of people surrounding them. Keith ducked and ran at Lotor, grabbing the cloth of his black jacket and used all the strength he had to shove him into the wall. Lotor groaned in pain as he felt his head slam into the bricks. Lotor raised his hands and grabbed Keith’s jacket, shoving Keith’s body into the lockers. Using his height as an advantage, Lotor lifted Keith off the ground, only a few inches, and turned around, throwing him to the floor. Keith scrambled back up, taking a defensive stance.  _ Be quick, strike hard, fight smart. Aim for weak points _ , he thought quickly as Lotor lunged at him. Keith took a deep breath, and stepped out of the way just as Lotor was about to crash into him, and kneed him in the gut. Lotor felt, for the second time that day, a painful feeling course through him. But ignoring it, he turned around, successfully punching Keith in the jaw. Keith staggered back, giving himself room. But Lotor followed him with agile steps. Keith reacted by aiming a punch that landed right in Lotor’s eye, making him take a step back. Lotor opened his injured eye only to make his vision blurry.  _ I’ll have to make do then _ , he thought. Keith and Lotor stepped forward, the punches landing on each other. Lotor’s on Keith’s nose, and Keith’s on Lotor’s jaw. As they both drew back, Keith’s hand went to touch his nose only to come back into his sight covered in a bit of his own blood. He could feel it drip from his nose and into his mouth, the taste of it metallic, like iron. He returned his hand into a fist once again. Keith and Lotor ran at each other, once again punching the other at their weak points. The two teens fell backwards from the blows. Lotor landed on his side, clutching his shoulder while Keith landed on his back, his head feeling worse. “What is going on here!” Allura yelled, (y/n) not far behind her. Time froze as the two enemies began to take in the scene before them. (Y/n) froze in her place when she saw the two people lying on the floor before her. “Get to class! All of you!” she screamed at the crowd of kids as they began running to class. (Y/n) fought against the river of students to make her way to Allura. “Keith!” she exclaimed as she ran to him, sliding next to his side. “(Y/n)?” Keith groaned out, opening his eyes. (Y/n) could feel herself tearing up as she looked at his face. He had a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw and his nose was creating a river of blood down his face. “You’ll be ok” she said, taking his arm and draping it across her shoulders. “I got Keith, you help Lotor” (y/n) told Allura. The (h/c) haired teen didn’t wait for a response as she helped Keith to the office, where the school’s infirmary was. She had to force Keith to walk quickly, but she was able to make it in no time. (Y/n) ignored the curious look Haggar gave her and walked straight into the medical room, setting Keith softly on the bed. (Y/n) set to work instantly and began rummaging through the cupboards for what she needed. Keith watched as she sat next to him, setting a small basket on the table next to the bed. Grabbing a tissue, she wiped off the blood from his face, neck, and shirt while shoving another one up his nose. Keith opened his eyes to see her worried face close to his, her eyes with a glassy look to them that made his heart break.  _ Why am I feeling bad for her? I’m the one who got into a fight _ , he thought. (Y/n) then took out some pain reliever, telling him to swallow it, which he did. Taking out some cotton balls, (y/n) put some rubbing alcohol on them, and cleaned the small scratches that littered his face. “That was a shitty thing to do you prick” she whispered angrily. Keith felt himself smiling, casing the bruise on his jaw to hurt. “I think this is the most you’ve sworn in a day (y/n)” Keith said. “This isn’t funny Keith!” (y/n) yelled, a tear going down her face. Keith frowned, looking away. His heart was beating painfully in his chest, the shameful feeling taking him over. Not knowing what else to do, Keith sat up and hugged her, his head resting on her shoulder. (Y/n) froze in his arms as she listened to his words. “I’m sorry. I let my temper get the best of me, and I made you sad… What shampoo do you use?” he asked. (Y/n) could feel herself about to cry harder. “How hard did you get hit Keith?!” she asked while sobbing. “Hard” he replied, not helping the situation, but his brain was all fuzzy thanks to the fight. After calming herself down, (y/n) pushed Keith back down on his back to continue cleaning his cuts. “Idiot” she mumbled as she put everything back and returned them to their rightful place. Not long after that, Allura came in while dragging Lotor by his ear, and all but threw him onto the bed next to Keith. “(Y/n), thanks for helping Keith, but you should get to class. Lotor can handle himself just fine” Allura said with a deadly tone as she walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing as she stomped of down the halls. (Y/n) sighed sadly, standing up and walking towards the cupboards. Keith and Lotor watched as she handed the white haired teen the same basket that she had used to heal Keith. “Do me a favor and don’t kill each other, ok?” she asked with a kind smile and walked away. The second she closed the door behind her, the room was forced into an awkward silence. Lotor reached over and started to go through the little basket, pulling out some pain reliever and cotton balls. “What do you think is going to happen to us?” Keith asked. Lotor looked over at him, shocked. “Pardon?” he asked. “What do you think is gonna happen to you and me?” Keith asked again. Lotor looked looked down at the floor with a solemn face. “I’m going to be thrown out. You will no doubt be in big trouble, but will still attend. I’m a very observant person, and can realize you have emotional value to Allura…” Lotor said.  _ And (y/n) _ , Lotor mentally added. He looked over at Keith to see that he had a confused look on his face. “I won’t deny that I’m happy to see you leave” Keith said. Lotor took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “I know. The only person who will not like my absence is my mother. It’s a good thing we made a plan B” he explained. The room was once again plunged in silence. “Did you like her? (Y/n), I mean” Keith asked Lotor, a worried look on his face. Lotor’s frown turned into a heavy hearted smile. “I won’t lie, I found her to be like a nightlight. She was kind to me when everyone else was only saw my past, and the reputation I held. Between you and me, I was number thirty-seven. The one that beat up Lance in your schools first football game of the year… She’s kind, unbiased, fun, not to mention very pretty. Honestly, I’m surprised she’s still single,” Lotor told Keith. “But, I can tell she only sees me as a friend. And I’m not staying here for much longer, so there a good chance I’ll never see her again. If anything, it’s a small schoolgirl crush. Nothing major” Lotor told Keith. Keith glared at him, angry briefly flashing through him. “Well, that’s fun to know. You could have made your speech shorter. A simple “yes, but it can’t work out” would have done nicely” Keith said with a certain venom in his voice. Lotor’s smile disappeared. “To make any constellation, when we were both hurt and on the ground, she ran straight to you instead of me, showing that you’re more important” the white haired teen told Keith. Lotor smirked when all he got in return was silence. _ I guess it’s a bad time to also tell him that she talks about him the most… Oh well, he’ll live I guess _ , Lotor thought as Haggar abruptly opened the door with a pissed off look on her face. Lotor’s face changed from smug to fearful, like he was meeting his greatest fear. But as he looked into the eyes of his mother, he knew that she was going to be  _ worse _ than his greatest fear… She  _ was _ his greatest fear. “Nice talking with you. Tell (y/n) I said goodbye, and thanks for all she’s done” Lotor said before his mother grabbed him by the ear and pulled him out of the infirmary, leaving Keith alone in the room in silence.  _ Well, he’s going to have fun _ , Keith thought. As Keith laid down in bed, he couldn't help but feel himself falling asleep. “Keith Kogane! You are  _ so screwed _ by the time I’m done with you! Do you hear me!” Shiro screamed as he slammed the door open.  _ God have mercy on me! _ , Keith thought, trying really really hard to hold in the pee that almost made its way into his pants…


	35. Chapter 35

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ Keith couldn’t take it any longer. He just went right ahead and kissed her. He was finally kissing (y/n). It felt as if fireworks were exploding in his stomach, and he swore he could even see the bright colors bursting behind his eyes. It was better than he could have ever imagined. Her lips were soft and warm against his own. And the way her shorter frame was fully pressed against his taller one drove him crazy. Keith felt like he was almost on auto drive, the way that their lips were connecting. The coal haired boy’s arm drove up to her back from its place around her waist, his other raising to hold the back of her head in his hand. With her head in his hand, he deepened the kiss. “Mmmm” she hummed in content, wrapping her arms around his neck, making the kiss even deeper. Suddenly picking her up, Keith walked forward until he felt her pressed between him and a wall. Keith felt her legs wrapping around his hips, pulling him closer to her. “Ahhh!” she moaned softly, breaking the kiss. Keith took a deep breath before latching his mouth to the side of her throat and constantly sucking and biting the skin. “Keith…” she sighed, her hand tangling itself into his soft black hair. “(Y/n), ah” Keith said in a breathy moan. “Keith?” (y/n) whispered her breathing hard. “Yeah?” he responded, continuing to kiss her neck. “I-” _

Keith jumped up covered in sweat, his bangs sticking to his forehead. He was gasping for air as he sat up in his bed. His hand went to his forehead and wiped the cold sweat from it, coming back soaked. He looked around him to see his dark room, the window open so that the cool night air could flow in. His heart that was beating a mile a minute slowly started to calm down, allowing his breathing to regulate. “What the hell was that?!” he whispered to himself even though he already knew the answer. He was just shocked. Had that really been (y/n)?! What was she doing in there?! And the weird feeling in his stomach, had that been real too?  _ Ooooh god, I’m so confused… I need some water _ , he thought, climbing out of bed. As he made his way quietly down the hall and stepped down the stairs, his eyes widened in horror as he froze up.  _ I can’t go through the living room! Pidge invited her over for the night dammit! _ , he mentally told himself.  _ Stop it! She’ll be asleep by now, drooling on her blanket you gave her _ , he told himself. So, taking a deep breath, Keith walked into the living room where, sure enough, Pidge and (y/n) both laid on the couch asleep. A warm happy feeling filled his heart as he softly smiled at (y/n). Keith walked across the living room and into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water in no time. And so he sat at his seat at the table, calmly drinking his water, thoughts and questions flying in and out of his head. Why did he dream of making out? And why with (y/n)? He saw her as a friend and nothing more… Right? But that was something someone did with people they were dating, and he just dreamed about making out with (y/n). He had never had anything like this happen so it was all new to him, but would that mean he liked her?  _ What?! No! I don’t like her, she’s my friend. A friend that I want to protect, and hold close, and punch any guy who- Holy shit _ , he thought, memories floating to the surface of his mind. The time he saved her from drowning, the time that he was forced to dance with her and Lance making them hold each other close, fighting his siblings in a snowball fight, teaching her how to fight, and the time he dragged her away from Lotor… Each memory made the warm feeling in his heart grow until it flooded his whole body. And the way she could make him smile was like she  _ wanted _ his heart to just burst out of his chest. Keith sighed as he stood up from his chair and walked over to the doorway, leaning against it as he looked at (y/n) as she slept peacefully with a small smile on her face. She was wrapped inside her red blanket, the warm piece of cloth falling off of her and onto the floor.  _ God, I could stare at her all night if that wasn’t a creepy thing to do _ , he thought. An idea popped into his head, causing him to look the living room and the kitchen for any sign that someone could be watching him. The only other person there was Pidge, but she was down like a submarine. When he couldn’t see anyone else, Keith walked over to (y/n) and kneeled down next to her. “Don’t you worry, I got you” he whispered as he fixed her blanket so that it covered her shoulder and laid on her so that it wouldn’t fall again. Seeing that his help was no longer needed, Keith stood up and made his way to his room as quietly as he could. He’d figure everything out tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) woke up to the smell of fresh eggs being cooked from the kitchen, the mere scent making her mouth drool a river and her stomach growling, demanding for food. Groggily getting up from her place on the couch, she walked into the kitchen to see Shiro, Pidge, Keith, and Hunk already up. Shiro was the one cooking the eggs, Hunk and Pidge were eating their plate, and Keith sat in his chair gazing into space, lost in thought.  _ He looks tired. Wonder what kept him up all night _ , she thought as she sat down next to him. “Morning guys” she said as she stretched her arms and legs. “Morning (y/n), nice to see that you slept well” Shiro said. “Hey (y/n)” Keith said quietly as he yawned, turning his head to look away from her. He hadn’t slept a single second after he had woken up from his dream, making himself stay up to ponder that single question. He still didn’t know if he liked her or not. He hated the fact that he felt like he was ignoring her, but he just didn’t know how to act around her. Every time he looked at her, all he could think about was the dream he had last night where they freaking made out! She moaned his name for god's sake! “You ok Keith?” (y/n) asked, a worried look on her face. “I, I, umm, got to go check my garage! See you later!” He said, getting out of his seat, stumbling out of the kitchen in a hurried frenzy. All eyes stared after him, confused looks on their faces. “What’s up with him?” Hunk asked. “How the quiznak am I supposed to know Hunk?” Pidge replied. Shiro stared after him, a questioning look on his face. “I’m gonna go see what’s up” Shiro said before leaving the kitchen. Hunk and Pidge looked at each other with knowing expressions. 

“You think “red’s” starting to realize the conspiracy on his own?”

“I hope so, I haven’t been bringing her over more often for nothing” 

“What are we talking about?”

“Ahhh!”

“Sorry!”

“Don’t scare us like that (y/n)!”

Meanwhile, Keith was pacing back and forth in his garage, raking his hands through his coal black hair. He was freaking out, to say the least, feeling like he would break down at any moment into a panicking mess. “Gahh! Come on Keith! She doesn’t deserve that shit and you know it! You can’t treat her differently just because of your emotion, you could hurt her feelings. And now you're talking to yourself, great” he told himself, kicking the base of the homemade bed he had in there. The coal haired teen let out a frustrated sigh, falling back onto his garage bed with his arms stretched out. “What am I doing?” he mumbled to the ceiling as if it would give him an answer. “I don’t know, you tell me,” a familiar voice said, causing Keith’s head to snap towards the door to his garage to see Shiro standing in the doorway. “May I come in?” the steal eyed man asked. Keith nodded his head. Shiro smiled lightly as he walked inside. “So, I’m going to get straight to the point. You're acting weird. First, you don’t eat breakfast. Then, you barely even say hi to us, or (y/n). And you just walked out of the kitchen like you had a squirrel in your pants. Something is wrong” he said, folding his arms across his chest. “I… I just have some stuff on my mind” Keith told his father. Shiro nodded his head as he walked over to him and sat down next to him. “What kind of stuff? You can tell me anything” Shiro said. Keith could see the concern and love swimming in those eyes, and it calmed him down to the point where he could feel his frustration disappear. Taking a deep breath, Keith sat up and moved next to Shiro. “I think I might like someone, but I’m really conflicted about it” Keith admitted, feeling like a giant weight was lifted off of his chest.  _ If anyone can help, it’s Shiro _ , he thought. Shiro’s eyes widened in shock, instantly knowing who Keith was talking about. After he had Keith had fought Lotor and the white haired teen had been permanently removed from the school, Shiro had given Keith the scare of his life. But to make sure that he was completely ok, the coal haired rebel was forced to stay in the nurse's room until the end of the day. The second that the last bell rang out, he saw (y/n) running through the halls like her life depended on it. And it wasn’t much of a surprise to him when he walked into the infirmary to see (y/n) with him, making sure he was ok despite spending the whole day in that room. But when he saw the look on Keith’s face when she had hugged him goodbye, he knew that everything Lance had told him that morning was true. So despite already knowing, he still couldn’t help the bright smile that spread on his face. “Really? D-do you need my help with it?” Shiro asked him. Keith hesitantly nodded, making the scarred man beam with happiness. “Well, do you want to tell me her name first? You don’t have to if you don’t want to” Shiro added. Keith looked down at the floor in thought. “Not yet. I’ll tell you someday, not today” Keith told him.  _ Don’t need him shoving me towards (y/n) when we get back into the house. Not ready for him to play cupid _ , he thought. “Ok, fair. So, tell me about her” Shiro said. “W-well, umm… I really wish I was good with words,” Keith said. “She’s really kind, probably the kindest I’ve ever met. But she would never let someone walk all over her. She’s selectively social but has a beautiful personality. She works hard and takes pride in it, I learned that the hard way. If you push her to the breaking point she has a bite to back up her bark, she’s loyal like that” Keith explained.  _ And he’s just now realizing he has a crush on (y/n)? I thought I raised him better than this _ , Shiro thought.

“Does she make you happy when you walk into a room?”

“Yeah”

“Can she make you smile?”

“Certainly”

“Ok. If you were to see her with another guy, would you feel angry?”

“I have… Don’t ask”

“I won’t” Shiro said, shaking his head. “Keith, I’m going to be honest here. The fact that you’re actually freaking out about the  _ possibility _ of liking her pretty much says everything. If you didn’t, you would probably be eating while thinking about it and forget about it by noon,” Shiro told Keith, placing a hand on the hothead's shoulder. Keith nodding his head as he realized that what Shiro said was true. If it wasn’t such a big deal to him, he wouldn’t be freaking out like this. “I suggest trying to act natural. If you use the kindergartener method and act mean, you’ll hurt her feeling and make her hate you. If you act nervous and weird, she’ll think somethings wrong and get worried all the time” Shiro said as he stood up and walked to the door. As he opened it up, Keith stood up from his place on the bed. “Shiro, wait!” Keith said, causing Shiro to turn and face him. “I- I, umm… Thanks. For the advice” Keith said. A kind smile spread from his lips as Shiro looked into his son's eyes. “Your welcome Keith. Oh, and before I forget,” Shiro said, gaining Keith’s attention. “Someone called saying that something wrong with their car and will come by tomorrow. I think Spring Cleaning is in order” Shiro said as he walked out of Keith’s garage. The coal haired boy watched as the scarred man walked away towards the house, leaving him alone in the garage. He couldn’t help the bright red blush that bloomed on his cheeks. “I have a crush on (y/n),” he whispered to himself. “And I don’t hate it. In fact, I like it a lot!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the large space. Shiro smiled as he walked into the house, seeing Lance watching the news while eating pop tarts. He was still in his pajamas and robe, seeing as it was the weekend. At hearing the door open, he looked up to see his dad walk through the living room and sit down next to him. “Pidge told me what happened. (Y/n) left a few minutes ago, so now we can talk freely! Tell me the good stuff!” Lance said with a gleam in his eye, meaning that he was ready for whatever gossip that Shiro was willing to give. “My oldest is growing up” Shiro said. Lance nodded slowly while gesturing for him to tell him more. “Yeah, which mean?” Lance asked eagerly. “He has a crush” Shiro said finally a small smile on his face.


	36. Chapter 36

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“I’m just saying that Keith has a very cat-like personality”

“No, I don’t Lance! Stop saying that!”

“I will not, mullet”

“Don’t make me slap you again”

“You wouldn’t  _ dare _ ”

“ _ Try me _ ”

“Alright! We don’t need to duke it out right town guys!” (y/n) said nervously as she pushed Keith and Lance apart as they walked down the street. Keith and Lance glared at each other before they looked away in opposite directions as they followed the (h/c) haired girl to her apartment. (Y/n) calmed down, seeing as she had shut down their argument, and walked forward to join Pidge and Hunk as they walked. “Sorry about that, what were you saying Pidge?” she asked. “I said, I can’t wait to get to your house, even if it is for spring cleaning. It’s been a while since we’ve been there” Pidge said. “Aww, thanks! It’s really not that much to clean, so I figured we could watch a movie and just have fun afterward until Shiro picks you guys up tomorrow” (y/n) explained as she finally saw her building and ran to the door as she let everyone into the lobby. After they all took the elevator and walked down the hall, (y/n) opened the door to her apartment. The four sibling let out a relieved sigh when they saw her clean and orderly living space. The last time they had been here was after (y/n) had lost her grandmother when she missed a whole week of school. It was _bad_. They could still remember how it looked then, and the (h/c) haired teen didn’t look any better at the time. But now it was clean, and (y/n) was ok and healthy. “It’s just standard stuff. Dishes, laundry, living room and kitchen, stuff like that” (y/n) said as she set her backpack on her couch, the others following suit. Keith walked next to (y/n), leaving Lance, Pidge, and Hunk behind them. Lance and Hunk leaned down to Pidge’s head, careful not to catch Keith or (y/n)’s attention. “What’s the plan?” Lance whispered. “Isolate them so that their cleaning partners. We got to make any and every moment count” Pidge ordered them as if she was their leader in a spy team. _Well, I’m not far off. Half of our plans were my idea. And they worked out well too… Except for that one time in third grade, but who’s counting_, she thought as Lance and Hunk nodded their heads with stern expressions. “Alright, let’s sort out who gets what,” Lance exclaimed quickly as she clamped his hand together. “Pidge will get the bathroom, Hunk can get the kitchen, I will get laundry. So that leaves (y/n) and Keith to clean the living room together. Since no one’s objected yet, let’s go people!” Lance said as he marched down the hall, along with Pidge. Hunk immediately walked towards the kitchen as he started to load dishes into the sink, leaving the coal haired teen alone with the (e/c) eyed girl. Keith turned to look at (y/n), who had a big smile on her face. “I guess we’re partners” he said. He felt his heart do flips in his chest as he said those words. “Good! I’ll need your help for when I have to kill the spiders,” she said, causing his eyes to go wide with fear. Seeing this, (y/n) quickly came up with something to calm him down, not wanting him to ever be scared. “Don’t worry though, there's not a lot. Barely any!” she reassured him, though it didn’t help. “Barely any”, still meant that there were spiders to an extent. Meanwhile, Lance was walking down the hall looking for (y/n)’s room. Looking to his right, he saw a door the exact color of the wall will an old doorknob attached to it. “Mmm, maybe it’s this one?” Lance mumbled to himself as he reached down to open it. The door made a quiet creaking noise as Lance pulled it open and stepped in. It was a small, empty room that had cream colored walls with white carpet, and a closet. It was brightly lit by a single window with white curtains. _Maybe there’s laundry in here_, Lance thought as he walked towards the closet and opened it. Nope. It was empty except for a medium cardboard box and a wrapped present that sat up on the top of the shelf.Lance’s hand reached up to grab it, but he hesitated just as he was going to touch it’s surface. _It wouldn’t hurt to look, would it? I don’t think she’ll mind_, Lance thought. “What secrets do you two ladies hold?” Lance said to himself as he reached up without effort and grabbed the two boxes. After setting them down, Lance sat down on his knees and lifted the cap off of the medium box. The blue eyed boy looked down into the box, a bright smile creeping onto his face. “Oh my god!” he exclaimed. Down the hall, (Y/n) and Keith were cleaning the living room. They had agreed to get the hardest stuff done and out of the way, meaning that they had to kill bugs. “Keith, hold still!” (y/n) nervously told Keith. “Just kill it and clean the cobweb already!” Keith said, a blush evident on his cheeks. The reason being was the position they were in. Keith was standing in front of a corner, balancing (y/n) on his one shoulder. To keep her from falling off, he used the arm that was connected to the shoulder she rested on wrapped across her lap, and his other keeping her legs close to his torso. “Why did you have to have a living room with high ceilings?” Keith asked her, looking down to hide his pink cheeks._ Damn, I never used to blush._ _Thanks a lot (y/n)_, he thought as he kept his gaze trained on the floor. “I don’t know, but I just killed it and it’s home, so if you could just walk a little to the left…” she told him, the coal haired boy doing as she asked just as Lance came running into the room. “Everyone get in the living room right now!” Lance said as he carried the two boxes he found and jumped onto the couch. Keith turned around, allowing (y/n) to see what her blue eyed friend had brought. (Y/n) let out a gasp, almost falling off of Keith, who only tightened his grip. He wasn’t going to let her get hurt on his behalf. “Lance! Did you go into the guest room?!” she asked him. “Yeah, I thought there might be laundry. Oh my, what was happening here?” Lance asked, a smirk on his face as he saw his oldest brother and friend. “Don’t change the subject! Keith put me down, please?” she asked kindly as she smiled down at him. Keith obliged, setting her safely on her feet. (Y/n) walked to Lance’s place on the couch, sitting next to him. Pidge and Hunk walked over, sitting on either side of them, making Keith stand behind them all, leaning on the back of the couch. “There’s a reason they were there, especially this one” she said as she took the boxes, looking sadly down into the open one. Inside was two framed pictures, an envelope, a key, and a (f/c) ribbon. The box seemed too big for just these objects alone. As Keith stared down at the objects, his instincts instantly came to life. There was something odd about them, but what? They were just random stuff, nothing special about them… At least, as far as he knew. “Why are these things in here?” Hunk asked. “Cause these are some stuff from my early life before I came to live here in Altea” (y/n) said, causing all eyes to turn on her. She rarely ever talked about her younger years, she tried to avoid it often. She’d get all nervous and stutter so they stopped asking as much as they used to. Keith turned to look down the box. “Can you tell us about the stuff?” he asked. “Sure, why not,” she said as she picked up a picture. It showed a family picture, with a man, women, and a child holding a black cat. “This was my family. That was Dad, and this was Mom. And that’s me and my kitty cat, Mouse!” she told them with a smile on her face. The women, (y/n)’s mom, looked exactly like (y/n). The face, skin, hair, and eyes. Even her smile was identical. The man on the left had a stern look on his face. But the four siblings could see that she had his nose. And then there was a little (y/n) with a bow in the back of her hair, her eyes shining as the cat licked her face. Keith gazed at the photo, his eyebrows knitting together, staring sternly at it as if it did something to make him angry. “You were so cute!” Lance cooed as he looked at the photo. “What do you mean was?” (y/n) asked with fre in her eyes. “I-I mean, umm, what about the next photo!” he stuttered as he pointed to the second photo. She picked it up so her friends could see it. This one had two stern looking adults in it. A man with tan skin and blonde hair, cold green eyes staring at the camera. On his arm was a blonde women with fair skin and blue eyes. “These were my fo- family friends! They were family friends. They watched me for a long time when my parents became travelers. They had a few other kids, all helians. The whole house was mean, but they were the only ones willing to watch me. One drank and the other acted like a slut” she told them. “Wow” Hunk said, staring at the picture in horror. “Don’t get me started,” she said as she placed it back in the box to pick up the key and ribbon. “This was the key to my first house, and my mom gave me this ribbon for my hair. I used to wear it everyday” (y/n) said. Lance stared at her in thought before a light bulb turned on in his head. “Why don't you wear it anymore? I think you'd look cute in a bow” Lance said before he grabbed the strip of cloth and tied it into (y/n)’s hair, Keith giving Lance a hateful glare. “Aaannnddd… Done! I think it looks pretty. So, what do _you _think Keith?” Lance asked, leaning back into the couch. Keith's heart nearly stopped right then and there. “W-well, I…” Keith stuttered as the (h/c) haired girl turned to look him with hopeful eyes. _Damn you Lance_, he thought angrily. “I think, it looks nice on you” Keith said, trying his best to keep a straight face. Despite the embarrassment he felt, it was worth the smile he had gotten from (y/n). Pidge smiled at Lance, giving him a secret thumbs up. Hunk smiled, picking up the letter. (Y/n) turned around, her eyes going wide once she saw what her friend held in his hands. “No! No no no, no!” she exclaimed, snatching the letter and placing in the box. She quickly closed it and placed it on the ground, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge all staring at her like she suddenly grew another head. “Everything ok?” Hunk asked slowly. “Yeah, sorry. I just, don't want to relive that letter, _ever_” she said. Keith looked at her with skeptical eyes. The feeling in his gut grew stronger. _That letter… There's something about it. And her family picture, she said “was”. Not this _is_, this _was_..._, he thought, narrowing his eyes. _What are you hiding from us?_, he internally asked her. “Oh god…” (y/n) muttered, tearing Keith’s eyes away from the box on the floor to her as she gazed at her unopened christmas present, her neighbors neat handwriting still on it. “Your Christmas gift? You mean you still haven't opened it?” Pidge asked her. “She died on Christmas day in the hospital, and I couldn't open it then, so I put it away” (y/n) told the hazel eyed girl. Pidge nodded her head in understanding. “Well, aren't you going to see what it is?” Keith asked. (Y/n) looked back at him with a solemn face, her face saying what her voice couldn't. “We all come from different backgrounds, us four. But we have all agreed that if this scenario was happening, we’d open it no matter what. So you're going to tear that paper up right now before you regret not opening that gift” Keith told her, staring into her eyes. She knew he was right. She had to unwrap it at some point, better now than later. Taking a deep breath, (y/n) closed her eyes, tears starting to appear. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears while her hand shook. _Jesus christ (y/n), its a _box_! Just open it damnit_, she mentally yelled at herself. Then, without thinking, (y/n) grabbed the wrapping paper and tore it away. The screaming silence was broken by the ripping sound of the paper. “Umm, (y/n/n)... You can open your eyes now” Hunk said as he tapped her shoulder, getting a shaky breath from her in reply. They all watched as (y/n) opened her eyes to stare down at a black leather book cover with a picture of the (h/c) haired teen on the cover. After tearing the rest of the paper away and dropping it on the floor, she slowly opened the book only to see that it was filled with pictures. Pidge’s hazel eyes scanned over each of them, taking them in. They were almost all of (y/n). There were baby pictures, school pictures, even some holiday ones. “Where did she get all this?” Pidge asked in wonder. (Y/n) wiped her eyes, refusing to let any tears fall from her eyes. “When she “adopted” me, I almost threw these away, but she asked to keep them. I never thought she’d make a scrapbook,” (y/n) told them, flipping through the pages of her gift. “But I’m glad she did” she added. She explained every photo in that book to them, from front to back. Some made her laugh, some made her cry. After she had showed them every single picture, she slammed the book closed and put the box, and the book in her room, and made them get back to cleaning until they finished and picked out a movie to watch. And soon, they all slept soundlessly in front of the blank TV. Lance and Pidge laid on the floor on top of blankets and pillows, Pidge using her brother as a human pillow. Meanwhile, Hunk as fine laying on one side of the couch with his head hanging off of the arm of the couch, his arms suffocating the life and soul out of his pillow. As for Keith and (y/n), they were squished together thanks to Hunk taking half of the space on the sofa. Keith was laying on his back with (y/n) wrapped in his arms. She layed on her side against his chest, a blanket covering them both as they slept.


	37. Chapter 37

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ (Y/n) gently stirred from her peaceful sleep, rubbing her eyes. The warm, early morning sun shone brightly through the two windows, blinding her as she tried to open her (e/c) orbs. She failed miserably, her eyes feeling like they were burning, and closed them shut. She noticed that the room was deadly silent, meaning that she was the first one up. Still feeling the sleepiness in her eyes, and just still tired in general, (y/n) calmly sighed before she lowered her head back down onto her pillow. As her head rested, she started to take in how flat and firm it was.  _ Maybe it’s time I buy new pillows _ , she thought as she lifted her head and opened her eyes, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. As the brightness in her eyes dimmed, she slowly took in the sight before her, her cheeks lighting up in a rosy pink color. She laid on top of Keith’s torso, her body being held to him by Keith’s strong arms, the red blanket covering them both. Keith’s chest slowly rose and fell in time with his breathing. (Y/n) couldn't get over how peaceful he looked. There was no hint of anger, annoyance, nothing. The golden sunlight illuminated his skin and made his coal black locks shine. His hair was a bit messy from sleep, as expected in the mornings. (Y/n)’s hand gently reached up to his face and brushed a group of stray hairs behind his ear. She noticed his face twitch, making her hand freeze on instinct. Her heart felt like it was going to explode from the number of flips it was doing, and she felt all hot from her face being beat red. She wasn’t dumb, she knew why. She had first started to think about it when Keith saved her in the library. The way her face felt like it was on fire, her beating heart, the sense of happiness whenever she thought about him, even just plain looking at him. It took awhile to piece all the clues together, but the second she saw Keith passed out on the infirmary bed after his fight with Lotor, she knew right then and there that she was head over heels for him. She smiled fondly at the memory. But as much as she would have loved to stay where she was at the moment, she knew that if the rest if the group woke up without breakfast ready, it wouldn't go down well with the four siblings. _ I’m just glad I have leftovers from the diner! _ , she thought as she stealthy crept off of the coal haired boy and tiptoed to the kitchen. _

“(Y/n)? You there?” a voice asked, snapping (y/n) out of her train of thought. “Yeah, I’m here” (y/n) told the coal haired boy. Keith and (y/n) were inside his garage. The coal haired teen was lying face up on an old skateboard, working under a light blue mini-van. And next to the car where his legs were sticking out was (y/n), who sat on the floor next to his toolbox. Different tools were scattered around the small area next to her. Keith looked up at the machinery above him, knitting his eyebrows together. “Mmm…” he hummed. “What?” (y/n) asked as she looked at him, or at least where he would be if the car wasn’t there. She watched as his rebel gloved hand popped out from under the car.

“Wrench?”

“Wrench!”

“Screwdriver”

“Screwdriver!”

“Washcloth”

“Here you go”

“Pretzel?”

“You ran out”

Keith groaned, letting his head rest against the skateboard. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Yes, Keith, I’m sure. I wasn’t lying when I told you it was the last one” (y/n) told him, hearing him sigh from under the van. “Alright, thanks anyway” Keith said as he went back to work. Meanwhile, unknown to the two teens, Pidge, Lance, and Hunk were sitting just outside the door, their ears pressed to the door. In Pidge’s hand was the strange green and white device that (y/n) had given her for Christmas. She had tested it recently, wanting to know what it could do. Like (y/n) had said, it did shock, and acted like a grappling hook, and was able to lift twenty to twenty-five pounds. Pidge had grown pretty attached to it, even naming it a bayard. She had thought that it might come in handy in this situation. “Can you hear anything?” Pidge asked, the trio keeping their voices down. “No” Hunk whispered. “It’s all muddled, like the adult voices in those cartoons  _ Charlie Brown _ movies. Can’t make anything out…” Lance said, pressing his ear harder against the garage door. “Hey, what if we open the window. That would work” Hunk told them, a smile on his face and he pointed to the medium-sized window above their heads. Pidge’s hazel eyes lit up at her older brothers idea. “Good thinking! Let’s see, we’ll have to stay out of sight...” Pidge said as she tapped her finger against her chin as she tried to figure out a way to open the window from the outside. The said window was longer than it was tall and didn’t have any screening. “Lance, give me a lift!” she whispered to Lance. The brown haired teen nodded his head and kneeled down to his knee and held his hands together so that Pidge could step up. Using Lance, Pidge could reach the window perfectly. Slowly moving her hand against the glass, Pidge gently slid the window open, allowing the trio to hear much better. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge’s voices hushed as they heard talking from the other side of the wall.

“Hey, Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I need to tell you”

“Re- Ow! Stupid pipe…”

“She’s going to do it!” Pidge yell whispered excitedly as she shook Hunk and Lance’s shoulders. On the other side, Keith stayed in his place under the car, rubbing the spot where his forehead harshly hit the metal pipe. “What is it?” he asked (y/n). “Well, it might sound a bit weird, or random...” she started to say, her voice growing quieter and quieter. “But?” Keith said from under the car. He was happy (y/n) couldn’t see him, because his heart was trying to beat out of his chest, and he had a hopeful smile on his face, his purplish gray eyes shining. “But, I just want you to know t-that… That... you're my best friend!” (y/n) stuttered out, a bright, glowing, red blush on her face.  _ You idiot! You quiznaking coward! You shouldn’t have said anything! What if he thinks you quiznaking friend zoned him! Gahhh! I ruined everything! _ , she internally screamed at herself. Her once happy heart started to grow heavy and deflated. “Oh, thanks. Your my best friend too” Keith replied in a monotone voice. Despite his tone of voice, he felt like he was falling apart. His face instantly fell, and a heartbroken emotion grew in him. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” Pidge yelled, standing in a furious aura. Hunk and Lance quickly stood up, panicked looks on their faces. Lance ran the door of Keith’s garage and threw it open. Keith now stood in front of the car with (y/n) behind him. “What’s going on out there?” Keith asked. Lance gulped, worry flooding his veins. “U-umm, we were, uh, w-we, LARPing! Yeah, LARPing. I mean, we don’t have costumes, but we didn’t let that stop us! Pidge just, uh, died! Died in a super intense battle to Hunk, so… Yeah” Lance managed to spit out. “Ok then…” Keith said as he walked towards Lance and closed the door. (Y/n) raised an eyebrow at her ocean blue eyed friend as he walked away from the door. Suddenly, her phone rang loudly, the ringtone an upbeat fifties tune. Keith turned his head to look at her. “Who is it?” he asked. “The diner,” (y/n) told him before she answered it. Keith could hear the other voice on the line as he listened and watched as she nodded her head. “Ok! I’ll be there as fast as I can, don’t worry Tony. Bye,” she said before she hung up. “The diner needs me. I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later” (y/n) said hastily as she ran over to Keith, giving him a quick hug before she ran out. Keith stared at the door as she disappeared from view, leaving him behind. Lance watched from the backyard as Hunk calmed down a raving Pidge. Lance’s face changed to that of a sad and understanding one. I have to go over there, he needs it.  _ God, I hope I don’t get kicked for trying to help him _ , Lance thought as he walked over to the door before he stepped inside. “Hey Keith, whats up?” Lance asked casually as he closed the door behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) walked down the sidewalk, making her way back to Shiro, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge’s house moving a bit faster than usual. The once warm, sunny, spring atmosphere was gone and had been replaced by a gloomy gray sky. And worst was it started to sprinkle a little bit. She hated to get stuck traveling in the rain, especially after getting lost and having to be rescued by Shiro. The whole ordeal was scary. Not knowing where she was, unable to call someone, just being on her own in that situation terrified her. She considered herself lucky that the scarred man was even driving down at the time and not some stranger. She just wished she’d brung a raincoat. Her sudden surprise shift at work was a long and busy one. Six hours long to be precise. (Y/n) pulled out her phone and turned it on, the time reading seven forty-one.  _ Dang, aren’t I late for dinner. Then again, that’s what I get for telling them to call me whenever if they really needed me _ , she thought ruefully, regretting her past decision of giving them her number in case of an emergency. But the extra hours meant extra money, so she didn’t mind much. A raindrop landed on the top of her nose, causing her to look up at the sky. She watched as other raindrops soon joined, and it began to softly rain. “No choice but to run” she mumbled to herself, picking up her speed. Pretty soon she was in a full on sprint, keeping her eyes trained ahead of her. It didn’t take long before she reached her friend's house and opened the door, slamming it shut. She leaned up against the door, catching her breath. “What did you do, run a marathon?” Lance asked from the couch as he watched an action movie on the TV. He was spread out across the sofa, a bucket of popcorn in his lap. “No, but I wanted to hurry before I got stuck in the rain” (y/n) told him, walking towards him and sitting down next to him. A big explosion came from the television, catching the two teens attention. Lance reached into the bucket, pulling out a handful of popcorn and shoving it into his face. Not a word as spoken, which worried his friend. He was usually so talkative, she even saw him talking to a cup with a face he had drawn himself. “Are you ok? You seem quiet” she said with a small smile on her face. “It’s nothing” Lance sighed sadly. “Aww, Keith didn’t say anything mean to you did he? I’ll have to punch him for you!” she laughed out. Her laughter died down when she noticed that Lance wasn’t joining in. In fact, he seemed kinda sad, which was out of character for him. (Y/n)’s face quickly changed to a worried expression, her facial features softening. “Lance? I mean it this time, are you ok?” he asked, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine, it’s just that Keith and I got into a fight. It didn’t get physical, but it didn’t end well either. And…” Lance told her, his voice seemed to disappear. “What happened?” she asked, the overt concern in her eyes showing. Lance looked into her eyes and guilt started to build inside him. “And, he may have run away. He still isn’t back, and everyone’s worried, so I’ve been waiting by the door watching movies” Lance said, looking down. (Y/n) looked at him, and an understanding smile graced her face. She gave him a quick hug, trying to let him know that it was going to be ok. “Don’t worry. It’s raining, and he can’t be far, so he has to come back” she told him, her voice filled with hope. “(Y/n), he ran off half an hour after you left for work” Lance said with a regretful voice. (Y/n)'s whole being seemed to shut down. She was working for six hours, and he still wasn’t back yet?! What happened?! “It’s been that long! We have to look for him!” (y/n) said as she quickly got up and headed for the door. “(Y/n), wait! This is Keith we’re talking about. He’ll come back, he just needs to cool down” Lance told her, but she was already gone. The (h/c) haired girl closed the door behind her, instantly being drenched from head to toe in cold rain. Giant water droplets fell onto her face, blurring her vision but it didn’t stop her from running down the street.  _ Please, don't go… You can’t leave me too! _ , (y/n) thought as she ran farther and farther, calling Keith’s name in hopes that he would come back home.


	38. Chapter 38

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The rain had gotten worse. Along with growing bigger and colder, it also became windy to the point where if a certain (h/c) haired girl had brought an umbrella, the object would already be sky high in mere seconds. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any thunder or lightning.  _ And I’d like to keep it that way until I find the quiznaking bastard and drag him home by his hair _ , (y/n) thought angrily as she walked down the sidewalk near the park. Her muddy shoes splashed in the puddles on the ground, soaking them even more as she looked around the park. She sighed as saw no sign of her coal haired friend. She was mainly looking for his jacket, the bright red would be a big help in the dark and gloomy rain. Moving so that she stood under a tree, (y/n) pulled out her phone hoping that it would still work. She was soaked to the bone, and everything she had on her was also wet. Her clothes, her wallet, and, regrettably, her phone. But it was still the driest thing she had right now. Relief flooded her as she saw the screen light up, reading nine o’clock. She looked out onto the park, taking in all the sounds and sights. She focused on the dripping sound that she heard from the leaves that dropped water, and the sound the rain made when it crashed down onto a puddle. Her (e/c) eyes watched as droplets rolled off of the grass and to the ground. She wished she could stay in that place forever, but she knew she couldn’t. Her face fell before she shoved her phone into her pocket, and ran back into the rain. She had been searching for Keith ever since she had run out of his house, looking all over town. She had checked the diner, the school, her apartment, the hardware store, even the park, a place she had never even seen him at. She could have created a map of the town by now if she had wanted to. And now, she was soaking wet in the freezing rain, cold, had little to no hope left in her, and was walking back to Shiro’s house Keithless.  _ But at least I’m not lost _ , she thought, trying to cheer herself up to no avail. “Just face it (y/n), you're not going to find him today…” she mumbled to herself. No longer having it in her to run anymore, (y/n) started the long walk back to her friend’s house. The rain hit her relentlessly, splattering on her head, creating mini droplets in her hair. If she wasn’t so sad at the moment, she would have thought it was beautiful and danced in the rain. She didn’t know how long it took to get to their house and she didn’t even remember the walk there. (Y/n) walked up to the front door, opening it then closing it after she had walked through and stood in the living room. The room was dark and the TV was off, and she figured Lance must have gone into the kitchen with the rest of his family. The only light source was light coming from the kitchen. She could faintly hear voices coming from inside, so the family must be talking about something. She kept her eyes trained on the floor as she walked towards the kitchen. “I couldn’t find him, and I checked everywhere. I’m sorry guys” she said, forcing herself to look up, her breath getting caught in her throat and her eyes widening. At the table, Shiro, Hunk, Pidge was sitting down next to one another while Lance sat on the countertop. And... then there was Keith who stood while leaning against the sink, his arms folded across his chest. His clothes were dry as if he hadn’t even been in the rain, and his face showed a strange mix of emotions that contained calmness, anger, and deep worry. (Y/n) didn’t know how it was possible to show each of these emotions perfectly in harmony, but she knew Keith was complicated. She stared at him as silence took over the room. Whatever their conversation was, it was over now. Everyone watched her as she stood in her place like a living statue. Taking a deep breath, (y/n) walked right up to the coal haired teen, her footsteps sounding as loud as the thunder that boomed outside. When she stood in front of Keith, her hands hardened into fists and she slapped him right across the face. The coal haired boy’s head instantly turned to the side, a nasty red hand mark appearing where her hand had struck him. “What the hell was that for?! I already got shocked with Pidge’s bayard!” Keith yelled, his eyes holding a raging fire that could burn the whole world to ash if it was released. But the gaze from the girl in front of him held the same, if not then more, amount of fire in her own eyes. “Where the hell were you! You left for six hours you jerk! And all for what?! A fight?! We were all worried sick! I looked for you for almost two hours! You have no idea how scared I was when you didn’t answer my calls, only to find out you didn’t even bring your phone in case of an emergency! Because heaven forbid if that happens!” she shouted. Shiro, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge all stared at the two in horror. (Y/n) had never once raised a hand to them in all the time they had known her. Ever.  _ Shit Keith, you done did wrong son _ , Pidge thought as she looked at her brother and best friend, both of which were being surrounded by a dangerous aura. Keith glared at her, narrowing his eyes. “I never asked you to look for me! If you bothered to stay, you’d have known I was in the woods out back! So just back off-”. “Back off?  _ Back off _ ? How can I “back off” when your answer to everything is to fight your way out of it? I’m surprised you didn’t do it to Lance before you stormed off!” (y/n) yelled, stepping closer to him. She would have been right in his face if she wasn’t shorter than him, which wasn’t helping her mood one bit. Keith growled, baring his teeth like a wild animal. “Excuse me? This is coming from the person who just slapped me a minute ago! So do us a favor, and calm down!” Keith exclaimed, throwing his arms out. “I will not calm down! And you know what? I’m not going to cry either cause all I do when I get worked up is cry, so let’s give yelling a try! I’ve cried enough tears to fill up a goddamn lake! You ran away! It felt like you fucking left me! That’s what happens with all the people I care about! They leave me! You ran away, leaving behind all mean of contact! Mrs. Bailarín not only died but does it willingly saying it’s for my own good on freaking Christmas day! And then there's my own parents who left me, meaning I had to go into the foster care system living with a drunk and a slut!” (y/n) screamed, the whole kitchen going silent. A look of horror spread quickly onto her face as she finally realized what she said. She stared at Keith as she backed up, covering her mouth with her hand. “What did you say?” Shiro asked, standing up from his seat.  _ My god… You really did it. You let your anger get so out of control, you really did it _ , she thought. (Y/n) kept her eyes glued to the floor like if she looked up, everything would get worse. The (h/c) haired teen had heard about how someone’s mouth will work faster than their mind and hurt someone, but she never thought that the scenario could hurt the person “I have to go” she said before she ran out of the kitchen, and towards the front door. “(Y/n)! Wait!” Shiro called as he started to make his way to follow her. But the scarred man stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the back door slam closed, making him turn around to see that Keith was gone. “Where is he going? That leads to the back yard!” Lance exclaimed, now standing near the door with a worried face. Pidge got up from her seat and made her way to the door. “He’s going after her, and I’m going too,” she said determinedly. She reached out to grasp the door knob only to have Hunk grab her wrist and pull her back. “Hunk! What the quiznak-”. “Just hear me out. Listen, Keith and (y/n) need to resolve this on their own. Their the ones mad at eachother, so it has to be them. If we go we’ll only get in the way, or make it worse. I want to go help too, but it’s better this way. And when he brings her back, willingly I hope, she can tell us everything” Hunk explained, letting his sister's wrist free. Pidge yanked it back, rubbing where he had held it at. “Hunk right,” Shiro said, leaning on the table. His face had concern written all over it, making him look tired. “It’s their fight, not ours. Let’s just hope for the best” Shiro told them. Pidge sighed, giving her father a begrudging nodd. Lance’s eyes filled with sadness as he sat next to Shiro. “Do you really think he’ll be able to bring her back. I’ve never seen her so scared before” Lance asked. Shiro forced a small smile on his face and rested his hand on the ocean blue eyed teens shoulder. “If anyone can bring her back, it’s Keith. The worst that’ll happen is he comes back with her thrown over his shoulder like a sack of flour” Shiro joked, making Lance crack a smile. Meanwhile, Keith ran through the back yard and out into the sidewalk. He was already soaking wet, water dripping off of his bangs and falling on his face. Keith furiously whipped his head left and right, looking through the rainy, gray darkness for (y/n). He didn’t mean to run away for that long. It was just that Lance had made him so confused, and he had to think it over. If he had known how long he was gone, he’d have been back long before six hours. And the fact that he made (y/n) stay out into the rain…  _ Stop it! Focus on bringing her home, then you can feel guilty _ , he thought, shaking his head. Adjusting his eyes to the dark lighting, Keith squinted his eyes to look ahead of him and caught a glimpse of (h/c) hair. A clap of thunder boomed through the air, causing (y/n) to jump. “You will not cry, you will not cry. You. Will. Not. Cry!” she mumbled to herself over and over again. “(Y/n)!” Keith yelled, running as fast as he could. Hearing her name, the said girl turned her head around, only to look forward again and continue walking. Keith groaned at her action, running faster, reaching his hand out to try and grab her. “Wait up will you!” he cried. Keith finally got close enough to touch her and caught hold of her shoulder, stopping her from moving forward. “What do you want Keith. I calmed down, didn’t I?” she asked, not facing him to look at him. “I don’t care about that right now” he said, moving in front of her. (Y/n) glared at him, moving to go around Keith only for him to block her. She tried again on the other side, and he blocked her again. “Aaaagggghhhh!” she groans, walking forward in hopes he would get out of the way. But her hope was washed away as Keith walked backward, staying with her. “You have to listen to me-”. “No I don’t Keith, I just need to go home” she told him. “We have to talk. If you don’t want to talk to me, at least to talk to someone else!” he said, grabbing her upper arms, holding her still. “I don’t have to talk to anyone about it! I got abandoned, went to a crappy home, and ditched the place as fast as I could. You already know the rest. I moved here, got jobs and my apartment and met Josie. Now let me go!” she exclaimed, trying to pull herself from his grip. Keith gripped her harder. But not enough to hurt her.  _ Never enough to hurt her _ , he thought. (Y/n) pushed her hands against his chest trying to get away. “No! I know you (y/n)! I can see how much it bothers you! I know what it feels like!” he shouted, pulling her closer to him. “I know how it feels to be left behind, to be the only one to look after yourself. And then you wonder what you did wrong even though it’s not your fault at all! Because it never is” Keith told her. “Shut up!” (y/n) said as the thunder collapsed and lighting light up the sky for a brief second. “My own mother left me and my dad the day after I was born, leaving me a freaking knife! A  _ knife _ ! Granted it’s a really good one, but who leaves their two-day old kid a knife?! And then My dad had to work every single day of his life before he died when I was eight! I had to wander through the freaking wasteland of Texas before Shiro found me! And then he found Lance and Hunk, and Pidge! So don't think I don't know what it's like!” Keith shouted as the wind and rain howled against them, silencing the two. Keith could feel her shaking in his arms as he pulled her close to him, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and they fell to their knees. He couldn’t tell if she was crying, or just shaking from her intense emotions. They sat there in the rain, the wind seeming to blow in a circle around them as the rain poured on them. After a while, Keith felt her arms circle his torso. He smiled as she hugged him back, and he felt warm even in the freezing rain. 

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine”

“Just holding back tears?”

“I. Will. Not. Cry”

Keith chuckled at her attitude, the tense atmosphere that used to surround them breaking apart at the seams. (Y/n) smiled as she sat on the cement, cold and soaked to the bone, held by Keith.  _ Thanks for not leaving me... mullet _ , she thought as she tightened their hug. The two sat there almost all night and only went back when the rain had cleared. Without the giant storm, the sky had turned from a cloudy gray sky to a dark blue, the blinding full moon and stars replacing the cold rain. Keith and (y/n) walked back to his house with smiles on their faces and the weights on their chests light as air.  _ I hope your right Lance. I don’t want to think I have a chance only for it to go away _ , Keith thought as he opened the door for her, and they walked inside the house where four very worried family members sat inside in waiting. And although they didn’t know it yet, they were completely in love with each other.


	39. Chapter 39

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) laid on Keith’s makeshift bed in his garage reading the book that was given to her by their English teacher while Keith stood in the middle, continuously aiming hard punches at a punching bag that hung from the ceiling. The coal haired teen had a fixed stare on the boxing tool, grunting every once in a while when he would land an exceptionally hard strike. Keith didn’t know how he had come to own that punching bag, but he was thankful to have it. That poor, defenseless, inanimate punching bag was the main reason he hasn’t earned a detention this year yet. Whenever he had gotten mad at someone, he would hold it in until he had gotten home and take his anger out on the bag. It had worked so far, but he found himself using it less and less. As cheesy as it sounded, he felt as if he had a reason now that he loved (y/n). (Y/n) looked up from her book and over at the hot-headed mechanic when she heard him groan, the slap of his fist immediately after when it collided with the rough leather of the punching bag. The sight of him made her breath hitch. Keith had was glaring at the hanging boxing tool, his two fists in front of his face. His hair was tied back into a low ponytail, leaving his bangs free hang however they wanted. He had taken off his red jacket a while ago and was in his dark gray t-shirt. And whether he knew it or not, the short sleeves of the t-shirt allowed the (h/c) haired girl to glimpse at his muscular arms. She knew that Keith trained a lot although she had never realized how much it paid off till now. His muscles weren’t bulging from his arms, but they were still toned and defined in a way that seemed to put her in a trance. (Y/n) shook her head to try and get ahold of herself.  _ Come on (y/n)! You can’t stare at him like a creep, no matter how attractive he looks! _ , she told herself. “So, why are you punching a bag again?” the (e/c) eyed teen asked as she set her book down next to her. Keith threw one final punch before he stopped, turning around to face (y/n). “Oh, you know, a guy said something that really pissed me off…” Keith mumbled.  _ Someone said you had a nice ass to be specific. He’s lucky I’m not planning to assassinate him right now _ , Keith thought. “Oh, ok” (y/n) said as she smiled at him. Then, Lance suddenly burst into the garage, throwing the door wide open. “DINNERS READY!” Lance screamed. “Lance! We, are not, DEAF!” (y/n) yelled back as she stood up and walked over to the blue eyed boy. “Well, if it’s dinner time, I better get going. I have a kitchen to clean. Bye” the (h/c) haired girl said before she grabbed her book and walked out of the garage. Lance and Keith watched as she walked away, Keith’s grayish purple eyes following her as she disappeared from their view. Lance smirked, his ocean blue eyes giving Keith a smug look. “Showing off your guns while punching, I see. Maybe I should start doing that too, impress the ladies and show off what I got” Lance said while flexing the muscles on his bicepts. “What?! No! I was just letting out my anger on the bag and (y/n) was reading” Keith told Lance, turning around to unlatch the punching bag from the ceiling. Once he had done that, the boxing tool dropped to the ground with an echoing thud. Keith bent down to grab it and dragged it over to the corner where it would stay hidden until he would need it again. “Wait, are you mad about what Jeremy said? God, it made my skin boil! You know, I heard that he cheated on Miley for Britney, an-”. “And I don’t want to hear any of your teenage girl gossip right now Lance. Let’s go eat” Keith said as he walked towards the house. “Pfft, sure! Walk away! Go and eat- What do you mean “teen girl gossip”?!” Lance shouted from the garage, causing Keith to smirk as he walked into his house.

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Allura walked into the teacher's lounge with bags under her bright blue eyes, her shock white hair a mess. In her hand was numerous binders stuffed full of paper while she held a large cup of coffee in the other. It was safe to say that she looked like a hot mess, and that was never a good thing since she was always so neat and orderly. To all the teachers, it meant that a big event was coming or something really stressful happened. Shiro was at the other end of the room reading the newspaper while drinking his own coffee, sitting at the small table near the tiny kitchen. Allura walked straight to him, dropping her binders on the table as well as her coffee. Shiro looked up at her, a bit startled by her appearance. “Allura! What the heck happened to you?” Shiro asked as he slowly set his coffee down and placed his paper on the pile of binders. Allura said nothing, only slamming her head on the table's surface, her messy hair surrounding her like a tangly cloud. “Arrrggghhh!” she said, her voice sounding muffled. Shiro rolled his eyes, giving her a knowing look. “It’s the council again, isn’t it?” Shiro asked, folding his arms and leaning against the table. “Yes!” Allura cried as she lifted her head from the table to face him. “They cannot decide on a single idea! I don’t know why I haven’t just chosen another set of council members yet. They can never get anything done! It takes months to get them to settle on a decision together and prom is only making it worse!” Allura complained, flailing her hands out. 

“Wait a minute, they’re fighting about prom?”

“Did you not hear a word I said?”

“I’m just shocked. Especially since I put in my idea. I thought it was great”

“Shiro, I will not have a “Shirogane themed prom”. We don’t need clones of you”

“Dang it”

The scarred man sighed, a joking smile on his face. Turning his head so that he faced the stack of binders, he lifted his newspaper off of them and pulled them towards him. As he looked through them, he realized that each binder was an idea for the prom. He could clearly see students handwriting along with Allura’s notes she must have added. “Well, at least I can see why their fighting. I mean, these are all good ideas” Shiro said as he opened another binder. “I know. I spent all night listing pros and cons, along with the costs. Personally, I like the winter-themed prom” Allura told him, picking a blue binder from the bunch. “I know, but I also like the galaxy one. It seems really cool. But as awesome as these ideas are,” Shiro said as Allura looked at him. “Why do we need a theme? Why can’t we just have a normal prom? No special decorations, girls won’t have to look for a dress of one color scheme, and no extra hassle. All we’d have to do is get nice decorations, maybe some fairy lights and Hunk’s  _ blessed _ food, and we can still have fun” Shiro said. Allura stared off the side in thought. He was right! Why decide on one idea when just making the gym look pretty and could still be fun? When she was in high school, she never had a special theme, she was just happy to be going. She could have worn any color or style dress she wanted and still look sexy as hell! In her opinion anyways. “Shiro, you are a genius! That’s a great idea! I’m going to do that! The council won’t even get the choice this time! I know that sounds really bad, but I don’t really care at the moment” Allura said as she grabbed all of the binders and walked towards the door. But before she stepped into the hallway, her eyes caught sight of the small green recycling bin by the door. Glancing at the stack of binders, a smile spread onto her face. “What the hell” she said to herself as she through the whole pile straight into the recycling and walked away without a single regret. “I think her coffee finally kicked in” Shiro muttered. Meanwhile, Keith was crawling through the ceiling trying to navigate himself to his math class. He had lost track of time when he was talking to (y/n), not that he cared much, and the classroom had been on the other side of the school. So, he ran to his special bathroom stall and used his shortcut.  _ Thank god I found this in freshman year after I beat the shit out of that one guy. This is a life saver _ , Keith thought. The coal haired boy looked around the area. Most of the area above the ceiling was all wires and boards, and some installing. But he had made little markers that let him know where he was, and what classes he was above. Eventually, his eye caught a right orange ribbon, letting him know that he was near his class. As his rebel gloved hands began to lift the ceiling tile, he heard two pairs of footsteps coming down the hallways. Keith slammed the tile down, hoping, praying even, that he wasn’t seen. “I’m just saying Jeremy, you're my best friend, but I don’t think it'll work out” a voice said. Keith cracked open the tile as he looked down. Keith looked down to see a guy with light skin and blond hair walking next to another guy with light brown hair and olive skin. Keith instantly recognized the blonde one.  _ Jeremy. The other one must be Jason Todd from Lance’s football team _ , Keith thought. Jason was an all-around nice guy, but Keith had never talked to Jason, and Jason never talked to Keith. But not Jermy. The sneaky bastard was more of a player, the “love’em and leave’em type” to be accurate. “Jason, sometimes you’re too much of a nice guy. All I wanted to do was ask the girl to the prom-”. “And have a “fun night!”. Jeremy, you're like a brother, but I’m seriously doubting your brain power right now. Plus, there's no way (y/n) (l/n) will say yes. I think she likes some other guy,” Jason said. Keith’s eyes widened, almost dropping the ceiling tile.  _ That quiznaking pervert can’t ask her to prom! There aren’t even posters up yet! _ , Keith thought angrily. “Besides, how do you even know so much about prom anyway?” Jason asked Jeremy. “Dude, I’m on student council so I know pretty much everything” Jeremy said. “Well, let’s talk about this later. We gotta get to class” Jason said as he opened the door for him and his friend, walking inside. Once it was safe, and there was no one else, Keith dropped down from the ceiling and landed in a crouching position. Why does this kind of stuff always happen to him? Lotor at least had morals and genuinely liked (y/n), even when she kicked his ass for scaring her. But Jeremy just wanted a “good time”.  _ You can’t let this happen to the girl you love. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to ask her to prom _ , Keith thought, an unsettling pit growing in his stomach.  _ Wait a minute! _ , Keith internally yelled, his body going into shut down mode. “Love? Where did love come from?” Keith muttered to himself. He  _ loved _ her? He didn't think that was right. Keith always thought that he was too young for love at the moment, but he had thought a lot things that turned out to be wrong. But this couldn't be one of those things, could it? Keith stood there, thinking, looking like a statue. The longer he thought, the more he realized that he was wrong. He loved (y/n). No, not loved, he was  _ in _ love with her. He loved the way she walked, the way she laughed, that she was willing to defend him, and he loved that she put up with him even after all the jerky things he said when they first met. He was  _ in love _ with her. “My god I’m in love with her…” Keith thought out loud, raking his hands through his coal colored hair. The bell suddenly rung, bringing the hot-headed teen back into the real world. “Shit, I’m going to be late” Keith said to himself as he rushed inside the classroom. “Mr. Kogane. You're late. I’d give you detention but I don’t care, nor do I want to waste my time on a second rate street fighter who will just end up breaking out anyway” the teacher exclaimed in a sassy voice. But Keith didn’t hear a word of it. All he was doing was glaring at Jeremy.  _ That bastard is going down _ , he thought, popping his knuckles.


	40. Chapter 40

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) and Pidge walked out of math watching as Nyma flirted with one of the guys that were also in their class, looks of pure disgust on their faces. “Is it me or is she trying too hard?” Pidge asked as she scrunched up her nose. “It’s not just you. But she seems more… What’s the word?” (y/n) asked, tapping her chin with her finger. 

“Demonic?”

“No”

“Witchy?”

“No”

“Trashy?”

“I guess I was going for flirtatious, but thanks for the help...”

Pidge lifted her hand and gave the (h/c) haired girl a thumbs up. “Hey, Pidge?” (y/n) asked, gaining the hazel eyed girls attention. 

Yeah?” Pidge replied. “Has your brother been acting weird lately?” (y/n) questioned. “Umm, no. Why?” Pidge asked. “Well, to me, he’s been acting weird around me all week. It started on Monday when he walked into English class. He didn’t talk to me one bit and when I asked him if anything was wrong he got all tongue tied on me and turned away and paid attention to class” (y/n) explained. Pidge looked down at the floor as she took in her best friends words. Acting weird? Why would Keith be acting weird? Pidge’s brows knitted together, showing that she was in deep thought. “P-R-O-M! WHAT DOES THAT SPELL! PROM!” a loud cheerful voice yelled. The two friends looked over to see a cheerleader in uniform. She had light blond hair that was in low pigtails and light blue makeup under her eyes. Standing in front of a desk with other cheerleaders behind it was a giant, and beautifully decorated cardboard sign that read “Prom! Buy tickets now for five dollars per person!”. “Romelle, you don’t need to yell that loud, just enough so people can hear” one of the other cheerleaders said. “Sorry, I’m still new to this,” she said. (Y/n) and Pidge walked toward the desk, curious looks on their faces. Romelle saw them coming and her eyes light up like a Christmas tree. “Are you two interested in prom?” she asked excitedly. “Maybe. Do you have a flyer I can take?” (y/n) asked, earning a noded from the blonde cheerleader. Romelle reached over to the desk on grabbed one of the flyers and handed it to (y/n). “Thanks for stopping by! You better get to class before you’re late” Romelle told them. “Ok, bye!” Pidge said as she waved her hand and she and (y/n) continued their way through the halls.  _ I swear she is one of the nicest people in this whole school _ , Pidge thought as she looked over to the sheet of paper in (y/n)’s hands. “What does it say?” she asked. “It’s on the Friday night before school ends, which isn’t that far away. Like the sign said it's five dollars for one ticket and to vote for King and Queen...” she told Pidge, her voice trailing off. Pidge smirked, straightening her glasses in a smart ass manner. “And are you thinking of asking anyone?” Pidge asked as she lifted her eyebrows high up her forehead. The hazel eyed girl watched as (y/n)’s face became a red glowing beacon of light, her mouth hanging open as her hair created a shadow over her eyes. “U-umm, I-I uh-”. “Please (y/n), I know you thought about asking my brother just now,” she said in a teasing voice. “You're in loooove!” Pidge exclaimed. (Y/n) stomped her foot on the ground in a pouting motion. “Don’t say it like that!” she told Pidge. The hazel eyed girl chuckled at her friend's behavior. “(Y/n), I could be a talking blue cat that flies and I would still say it like that,” Pidge told her. (Y/n) gave her a smile, rolling her (e/c) eyes. “But are you? You know, in love with him?” Pidge asked, her voice sounding the most serious that (y/n) has ever heard it. The two friends stood in their places as silence took hold of them as other students talked and walked around them. Pidge stared at (y/n) waiting for an answer. Then, (y/n) smiled, turning her head to face Pidge. “Yeah, I am. I don’t know how or why, but I am. And it feels really great” (y/n) said as she stared at her shoes, avoiding Pidge’s eyes as a light blush dusted her cheeks. The bell suddenly rang, signally that class has started. “Shit!” Pidge and (y/n) shouted in unison before they parted ways, running down the halls. “Shit shit shit shit! I’m late!” (y/n) said to herself as she ran. Finally, she reached the door to her English class and opened it, rushing inside. Keith’s head snapped to the door to see his friend leaning her hands on her knees with labored breathing. “Ms. (l/n), what is the meaning of this?” the teacher asked as she placed her hands on her hips and a stern look took over her face. “Well, you see, I-”. “Nevermind, I don’t want to hear it. Just sit in your spot please” she told (y/n). The (h/c) haired girl nodded her head and ran to her seat where she and Keith still sat alone on the table. “Alright. Everyone, get to work. Kogane! Fill the little missy here on what she missed. I have some papers to grade and don’t want to be bothered” the teacher said before she walked off, giving the students a hidden signal to talk while working. Keith grabbed his stuff and moved down by (y/n). “So, why were you late?” he asked her, grabbing a spare piece of paper from his binder. “Oh, no reason,” she said looking away from his questioning gaze. She knew that if she looked into those greyish purple eyes, she’d think about the flyer and turn into a stuttering mess. “So, what are we working on?” she asked Keith, following his lead and also taking out a piece of paper. “We’re taking notes for the end of the year exam. Last one until next year you know. The notes are up on the board. But you couldn’t see since you weren’t here” he told her in a joking manner with a smug smile on her face. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at him and his attitude. “Alright smart alec, I get you,” she said as she looked upon the notes, her eyes widening as she saw that the notes stretching from one whiteboard to another. “My god… How much notes does this women think we can mesmerize?!” (y/n) exclaimed as she asked the coal haired boy. “How the quiznak should I know? I’m not a mind reader,” Keith said. “So when do you want me to have a look at… the car you inherited?” Keith asked as he looked up from writing his notes to look up at (y/n). He cursed at himself internally for almost mentioning the name of her late grandmother. “Keith, it’s ok to say her name. It’s not like I’m going to cry or anything. Josie’s car would sometimes shake when she’d drive it, so I’d like for you to test it out with me. I won't know what's wrong but you will. I mean, your possibly the greatest mechanic I’ve ever seen” she told him. Keith felt his cheeks tingle and he knew that they weren’t the pale color they usually were. Thinking fast, he “accidentally” dropped his pencil. “Oh damn! I better go pick it up!” Keith told her, his voice sounding fake and monotone. He instantly dived under the table, trying to get his blush to go away. After a few seconds, his face no longer felt warm or tingled in a weird way and he climbed up to sit in his seat next to (y/n). “So, to test it out, we’ll have to drive it down the road in my neighborhood” he said. “Perfect! If you want we can do it tonight. You’d just have to come with me to drive it to your neighborhood since it’s kinda in an alleyway right now” she explained. “Sounds like a plan” Keith said as he looked down at his notes and continued to copy them.

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Keith and (y/n) walked through town in a comfortable silence, only focusing on their destination and the busy sounds and chatter of the bustle around them. The blistering sun shined brightly on them, the warm air making the coal haired teen sweat ever so slightly in his red jacket. But (y/n) on the other hand was completely fine in her light clothing. (Y/n) glanced at Keith to see him wipe his forehead, no doubt cleaning off the excretion. “Keith? Why do you wear that jacket even in this heat?” she asked. Keith looked over at her before he shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just really attached to it” he told her. (Y/n) nodded her head as the continued walking. A few minutes later they reached (y/n)’s apartment building, and they stopped in front of it. “So, where’s the car?” he asked her, leaning against a lamppost with his arms folded. “Over here! Follow me” (y/n) said, yanking on Keith’s arm, dragging him to an alleyway beside her building. An unsettling feeling formed in Keith’s stomach. “(Y-y/n), why am I being dragged to an alley?” he asked as he tried to stop his voice from sounding so shaky. “To see the car you dork” (y/n) said before she let go of his arm, allowing him free range. Keith straightened out his sleeve before looking in front of him. In the middle of the alley was an old gray nineteen seventies Singer. “Wow… You weren’t kidding when you said it was old” Keith said. “I know” she said. “You really think I can fix this?” Keith asked, pointing at the car, a questioning look on his face. “Yes, I have full faith in you” she replied as she placed her hands behind her back. Keith looked at his friend. He couldn’t deny that her eyes shined with faith. But not just any faith, faith in him. And he had to at least try. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it out, Keith turned himself so that he faced her. “Thanks (y/n)... Well, get in the driver's seat and let's get to my house” he told her, running to the car and opening the passenger door. (Y/n)’s face suddenly fell as her eyes looked down at her feet and her smile turned into a frown. “Umm, Keith?” (y/n) said as she walked to right in front of the car. “Yeah?” he replied. “I, uh, don’t have a single clue on how to drive…” she told him, her eyes trained on the hood of her car. “You don’t know how to drive? No one taught you?” Keith asked her with, not just a surprised expression, but a surprised voice as well. Surely someone should have at least taught her something. “Name one person who could have taught me” (y/n) said, looking up him as she placed her hand on her hip. Keith raised his finger and opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. She had a point. She had no parents, her old foster parents didn’t care in the first place, and her grandmother figure died before she had the chance to even think about it.  _ To put this bluntly, that sure does suck. Well, there's only one thing to do _ , he thought. “I’m not going to lie, you got me there. So here’s my plan,” he said, catching her attention. “I’m going to drive up to the beginning of my neighborhood and then I’m going to give you a lesson while we see what's wrong with the c-”. “Really! I’m gonna learn to drive! Move over Miss Daisy!” (y/n) said excitedly as she ran over and shoved Keith out of the passenger's seat and into the driver's seat. “Who the hell is Miss Dais-”. “Drive!” (y/n) said sternly. “Geeze! I’m driving, see me driving?” he asked sarcastically with an attitude in his voice. The drive to Keith’s neighborhood was filled with an overly excited (y/n) bouncing in her seat and nagging him to go faster. He used to question what it even felt like to be annoyed at her since he had forgotten after so long, but boy did he remember now! What felt like a couple hours was actually ten minutes.  _ I get that you should cherish every moment in life, but just kill me now! _ , he thought as he resisted the urge to bang his head against the wheel. “We’re here! Oh thank god, I made it,” he said, mumbling the last part of his speech as he parked the car and put it in park. “Alright, switch seats,” he told her before he climbed out of the car. (Y/n) smiled at this and followed his lead and climbed out of the car, passing him on her way to the driver's seat. (Y/n) watched as Keith sat down and buckled his seat belt, causing her to do the same. “Alright, the first thing you want to do is adjust the seat and the rearview mirror so you can see as best as you can,” he told her. (Y/n) did as he said and adjusted her seat and mirror. “Good. Now turn the car on,” he said as he watched her turn the keys and the old gray Singer came to life. “Now step on the brake and put the car in drive” he told her. “How do I do that?” she asked. “This lever right here. I don’t know if this car will work correctly, but it shouldn’t move until up or down until your foot is pressing down on the brake” he told her. “Alright, now do I put it to P, R, N, or D?” (y/n) asked as she looked down at the controls. “P is for park, R is reverse, N is neutral, and D is drive” Keith explained to her. The (h/c) haired girl nodded as she moved the lever from park to drive, her hand flying back to the wheel when the car started to slowly move forward. “Please tell me you know how to steer” Keith said as he gripped the seat belt, tightening it. “How dumb do you think I am?” she asked, glaring at him. “Just making sure, I don’t want to die before I’m allowed to have a beer” he joked. (Y/n) smiled as she carefully steered down the road. Keith looked over at her MPH and looked back to the road. 

“You can go above five miles per hour you know”

“I know”

“Then why are you going at three miles (y/n)?”

“Like you said, I don’t want to crash”

“I think we’ll be fine. Try speeding up to between ten or fifteen”

(Y/n) pressed that gas the smallest bit, causing the car to go a bit faster. “When you drive, only glance at your speed every thirty seconds. And also always drive in the right-hand side of the road” he added. A few minutes passed with Keith giving her tips and how to “not die”, as he put it. “I want to thank you for doing this for me Keith, It means a lot to me” (y/n) said as turning left at an intersection. Keith turned his head out towards the car doors window, hiding his smile. “No problem. So why were you late to class?” Keith asked her suddenly. 

“Are you kidding me? Are you still hung up on that?”

“Yes”

“I told you it was nothing!”

“You’ve never once been late before. Plus, if it was truly nothing, you would have told me by now”

“...”

“...”

“Quiznaker” (y/n) mumbled to herself, causing Keith to smirk. “Well…” he said, waiting for her answer. “Alright, I saw one of the newer cheerleaders, Romelle, cheering about prom in the hall. I lost track of time while I asked her for a flyer to take home” she explained. Keith froze up at her words. “Prom?” he asked. “Yeah, prom” she said. “Oh, ok then,” Keith said. (Y/n) looked out on the road, her heart rate slightly increasing.  _ You can do this! It’s now or never! _ , she thought determinedly. “Hey Kei-”. A loud  _ pop! _ Noise shot through the car and the car began to sputter and ever so slightly shake. “Oh shit” Keith said with wide eyes. “Shit? Why “oh shit”? Is shit bad?” she asked, growing nervous as the car suddenly turned off, slowly coming to a stop. “Pull over, carefully, and park it,” Keith told her. The (h/c) haired teen nodded and pulled over, putting it in park. “So here's the thing… I’m pretty sure I found the problem” Keith said, leaning against the middle console, looking into (y/n)’s (e/c) eyes. “What is it?” she asked. “I think your car has a stalling problem. I can fix it up easy, so it’s not that big of a problem…” Keith said, his voice growing quieter with each word. “But?” (y/n) asked, sensing more to his words. “But, we’re going to have to call Shiro to help us out at the moment” Keith told her. “That’s not a big problem” she said, throwing him a smile. Keith couldn’t help but crack a small smile as when as he pulled out his phone and dialed Shiro’s number. 

“Hey Keith, how's it going. Lance keeps saying “they better play it safe”, but I have no idea what that means”

“Tell Lance to shut up after this call and that I'll  _ take care _ of him later! Look, I know that you're busy right now, but (y/n)’s car stalled and I need you to help us out”

“Alright, I’ll be there in ten minutes buddy”

“Thanks Shiro”

(Y/n) looked at Keith once the call ended. His face was red, and he looked shellshock, to say the least. “You ok?” she asked him, genuine worry in her voice. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just hot” Keith told her. “Oh, then let's wait for him outside,” she said before she opened her door and climbed out, going to sit on the hood of the car. Keith did as she had done and soon enough he was sitting next to her while he leaned on his hands. Despite the fact that the sun sunk below the horizon, it was still bright outside. The sky was a brilliantly blinding fiery orange. “Geeze, it really cools down once the sun sets” she said, shivering and covering her arms. Keith looked at her when an idea suddenly popped into his head. Sitting up, Keith scooted closer to her and pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around (y/n). (Y/n) looked at him with a shocked face. “But this is your jacket-”. “I’m fine. I’m kind of like a heat generator,” he said. “So before the car stalled, what were you going to ask me?” he asked (y/n). For a brief second, (y/n)’s eyes widened, an embarrassed and anxious feeling taking over her. “O-oh! That question! I- well,” she stuttered. She glanced over to look at Keith, getting caught in his eyes. She felt so nervous at that moment, she thought she was going to throw up for a moment. But as her (e/c) eyes stared into his greyish purple ones, she felt all her worries disappear. She was going to ask him. Keith watched as (y/n) turned herself so that she sat on her legs while facing him. “I want to ask you something, and I'm just going to ask it bluntly because there is pretty much no other way” she said, grabbing his shoulda with both hands while looking straight into his eyes. Keith could feel his heart threatening to explode from his close she was, and the nervous feeling in his chest. “What is it?” he asked. “Will you, Keith Kogane, go to prom with me?” (y/n) asked him, a serious expression painted on her face. Keith’s mind shut down, his brain processing her question like it was the last thing he might do before he’d die. But not in a bad way, he was happy about it. He felt like his life had ended from being too happy... But it didn’t show on the outside. To (y/n), him just sitting there staring at her was making her not only worry that he had gained brain damage, but it was also making her sad.  _ Oh god, he’s thinking about how to let me down gently _ , she thought with a pang in her heart. Keith felt her hands fall from his shoulders, bringing him back to that moment in time.

“Prom?”

“Yes”

“With me?”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

“Yes! Wait, no!”

“You don’t want to?!”

“WHY ARE YOU MAKING THIS HARDER THAN IT HAS TO BE!”

Keith groaned, his patience wearing thinner and thinner by the second. Despite wanting to scream and yell he managed to calm himself down, forcing all the emotions he felt in a closet. “(Y/n), I want to go to prom with you” Keith told her. A big glowing smile spread onto her face and (y/n) leaned forward and hugged him. “Thank you! I was really nervous you would say no!” (y/n) exclaimed. Keith hugged her back before she pulled away. “Well, I better get going. I want to get home before it gets any darker… Well, bye!” she said while she slid off of the hood and started to walk away. “See ya” Keith said, sitting up straight and fixing his shirt. “Oh! Keith, one more thing,” she called. Keith turned around to face her, expecting to help her with something. But he had no idea he would be met with (y/n) leaning in and pecking him on the lips before pulling back. “Ok, that was all. See you tomorrow” she said. Keith’s whole body, his heart, his muscles, his mind, his hearing, shut down and he sat there looking like a statue. He didn’t even realize she took his jacket with her.


	41. Chapter 41

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Come on (y/n), give me my jacket" Keith groaned as he stood by a certain (h/c) haired girls locker. (Y/n) peaked out from her locker door to see the irritated face of her prom date. His eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was pulled down into a frown. And it was all because, as he said, she was still wearing his jacket. Not many people noticed she was wearing  _ his _ jacket in particular, save for Shiro, Allura, Coran, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. And they teased her about it relentlessly as did they Keith for letting her. But the coal haired boy secretly didn't mind. To him, it was a sign that she was taken. One guy had tried to ask her out to prom, but it didn't end very well. It was  _ Jeremy _ . Ironically, the idiot asked her the day after (y/n) had asked Keith while they were in the halls. He had swaggered over to her, practically tried to glue her to his side, and asked her in the flirtatious way possible. (Y/n), of course, said no, but that only made Jeremy ask her again. And again, and again. It wasn't until Keith saw her start to become visibly uncomfortable that he pried (y/n) from Jeremy. Then, when Jeremy became angry, that made Keith become angry. Long story short, Keith punched him in the nose and got sent to detention while the blonde teen got a crooked nose. And since Allura was their principle, and Keith's family friend, Jeremy was to clean the school until summer break. But it was worth it because Jeremy stayed far away from both of them since then. "Aww, the dragon defended the princess" Lance had said at lunch that day, causing Keith to choke on his food and (y/n) blush. So to say it was very eventful that day would be an understatement. But that was last week for them. Now, it was the last Friday before school would end... It was the night of the prom. "If you want your jacket back, you'll have to wrestle me for it" (y/n) told Keith with a smile as she closed her locker and swung her backpack over her shoulder. "And how do you think that will go?" Keith asked her. The (h/c) haired teen rolled her eyes. "Fine" she said, taking off Keith's red jacket and handing it over to him. Keith's face immediately brightened up as he put it on, happy to be in his favorite article of clothing. "Thanks" he said. "No problem," she said. They two teens started to walk towards the front doors of the school. "So, are you nervous?" (y/n) asked him. "About prom?" Keith replied, getting a nod from her in return. "Well, a little bit, but I guess that's a given. I am excited though" Keith told her. (Y/n) smiled brightly at him. She was anxious about tonight, but also excited like him. She couldn't have explained it better than him though. "Me too" she said, moving her hand so that it held his. It was actually something that Keith had started after he punched Jeremy, another sign that she was his, and he was hers. It was unsaid, but they both knew that they were dating each other. "So how about I pick you up at eight to go to dinner, then we can head over to prom at nine?" Keith asked. "I like that plan. Allura and Pidge are coming over to my apartment to get ready. Something about wanting to dress me up," she said. "I personally think that Allura wants to borrow a theater dress for her to wear" (y/n) whispered to him, causing him to smile a bit. "I don't think you're too far off. I mean, she acts like a princess," Keith said. As they reached the doors, Keith let go of her hand and stood still, causing (y/n) to turn around with a confused expression on her face. "I'm gonna leave you here. I promised Shiro I'd help out a bit, and I got other stuff I gotta do here also" Keith told her. (Y/n) smiled at him, understanding him completely. "Ok! See you tonight!" she said as she ran out the door, waving as she ran.   
  
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(Y/n) stood in her own bathroom, wrapped in a towel while drying her hair. She figured it'd be a good idea to shower since Allura said she would do her and Pidge's hair. Once her hair was done, she hurried to her room and got dressed. Just as she was done, a loud knock was heard, and she ran to her door. (Y/n) opened it to see Allura and Pidge on the other side. Both had smiles on their faces and held plastic containers that, what (y/n) guessed, held all the beauty products that Allura owned. She knew absolutely none of them could be Pidge's, since she knew her best friend despised makeup. "Hello (y/n)," Allura exclaimed as she walked right inside. Pidge followed after her. "So this is your place of residence. I must say, It's a lot nicer than I thought" Allura said. (Y/n) closed her door, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "Oh! I didn't mean anything bad by it, I just thought it would not be as nice as it is. I mean, when you say you live by yourself and have three jobs to afford your own place, I thought it'd look a bit run down. But I should have expected more. What I'm saying is, you have exceeded my expectations" Allura said after she set down her container and walked over to her and Pidge. "She likes your place" Pidge explained. "Ooh... Thanks!" (y/n) said. "Anyway, now that we have that out of the way, we can get ready since you have to be ready in three hours for your boooyfrieend" Pidge said in a singsong voice. Allura laughed as she watched (y/n) lightly blush and chase Pidge around the kitchen. "Alright, let's go to the bathroom to get ready" Allura told them. (Y/n) glared at Pidge as the hazel eyed girl followed Allura down the hall with a smirk on her face.  _ I'm gonna wipe that stupid smile off your face, just you wait _ , (y/n) thought. But she never did get the chance to. She was too busy being ordered around by the white haired women to even think about it. But she did admit that when an hour when by, she looked amazing. Her hair wasn't done, but her face had light makeup on it so it enhanced her natural beauty. Pidge begrudgingly agreed to have makeup on, but not much. Just a bit of eye shadow and light blush, but she still looked amazing also. Allura wore more makeup than them because of her darker skin, but not enough that it like she caked her face with it. Their hair wasn't done yet since Allura told them that they're supposed to do that last. "We don't want to risk the dress ruining it" she had said. The white haired women checked their faces for any last minute mistakes she may have missed. When she found none, she smiled and opened the door. "Alright, now that we are done with our makeup, let's go check out the dresses" Allura said as she walked out, the two teens following her. "Wait! Where are your guy's dresses?" (y/n) asked them. "Pidge doesn't necessarily have a dress, more like a dress shirt and skirt along with green heels. But Shiro asked me to do her hair. It's a bit longer than it looks, it's just so fluffy and curly that it looks short" Allura said. "I get it, I have soft hair. I'll go get my outfit" Pidge said as she walked away, leaving Allura and (y/n) alone. "So, what about yours?" (y/n) asked after a few seconds. "I'm going to borrow one of yours if they fit" Allura said simply as she walked down the hall.  _ I knew it! _ , the (h/c) haired girl thought excitedly. "Oh! Not that door," (y/n) exclaimed quickly after she saw Allura open the door to her room. "That's my room. I actually have a guest room. I was recently able to put all the stuff I wanted to keep from Mrs. Bailarín into the guest room" (y/n) said as she opened the door that lead to the extra room she had. "Oh, that was smart" Allura said as she walked inside. The once empty room was now a spare bedroom. A bed was placed against the wall with the window, the matching pillows and blankets having a simple flower design on them. Next to the bed was a dresser that acted like as a nightstand. On top of it was some black and white pictures of a small girl with an older women, or a young women and man. On the other side of the room was an antique full length mirror with a bit of rust on the old metal. "All this is from her?" Allura asked. "Yeah, and so it the stuff in the closet. She used to talk about me wearing them all the time. She liked to see the dresses that held happy memories being worn by someone who would truly appreciate them" (y/n) explained as she walked to the the closet. "I'm here! Where are you guys?" Pidge yelled from the living room. "We're in the spare room" (y/n) yelled back. And soon enough, Pidge walked in a few seconds later. "Wow! I love what you did with the room (y/n)" Pidge told her. "Thanks, I'm just glad I found a use for this stuff. I really didn't want to sell them" (y/n) told her best friend as she opened the closet. Allura and Pidge stared in wonder as they instantly saw dresses in all styles and colors. "How many roles did she have?!" Pidge asked. "She insisted that she keep whatever dresses or clothing she wore in her plays, even if it cost her money. But since she was really good at her job, the costume designers lowered the price for her. So I guess just pull out dresses and we can try them on" (y/n) explained. After a few minutes of looking, Allura and Pidge picked out dresses for her to try on. She had tried on ball gowns, form-fitting dresses, and something that looked like an Indian style outfit just for fun. They also kept an eye out for any dresses that would fit Allura, or Pidge. "Allura! I found one!" (y/n) cried from the closet. Her voice was muffled since she had to travel so far into the closet, but it was worth it. (Y/n) came stumbling out of the sea of dressed, holding on in her hands. "Really?" Allura asked as she walked towards the closet, her body popping out of it just in time. "Yeah, and it's perfect" (y/n) said, pulling the dress out and giving it to Allura. Everyone's eyes sparkled they gazed at it. The dress that (y/n) had found was a floor length, light blue, sparkly dress with gold trimming on the bottom, with a v-neck styled straps. "My god... It's perfect! Why didn't we see this sooner?" Allura said as she held it against herself, seeing how it would look on her. "How should I know? Just go try it on!" Pidge said before she pushed Allura out of the door so that the white haired women could change in the bathroom. A few minutes later, Allura walked in the room wearing the beautiful dress that (y/n) had found, causing the two girls jaws to drop. Allura smiled as she suddenly went into a dramatic pose, making them laugh. "What are you laughing at? I think I look great," Allura said as she tried to hold her own laughter back. "Alright, let's get back to work. Pidge, are sure you don't want to find a dress? I'm sure we can find something-". "No, it's ok Allura. I did find a green headband, so I'm good. Besides, I look better in a tux, but I don't think there's any like that in the closet," Pidge said. "Buuuut, we can start looking for dresses for (y/n)!" Pidge said with an evil look in her eyes, her glasses reflecting the light in the room perfectly. (Y/n) would be lying if she said that the hazel eyed girl didn't scare her whenever she acted like this. It was like watching planning to commit your own murder. (Y/n) let out a nervous laugh while backing up towards the closet. "Just don't go too crazy, ok?" she said with an anxious tone in her voice. Pidge smirked at her. "Oh, we won't go  _ too _ crazy" Pidge said. Allura rolled her eyes at her, smiling.  _ Oh god, this is going to be fun _ , she thought.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Keith waited in the floor of the lobby, pacing back and forth. Strangely, there was no one there except him. No front desk worker, or even residents that lived here. He was nervous as hell, to put it bluntly. Shiro had helped Keith, Hunk, and Lance at the school, since Keith had asked to have the car for the night, and Shiro had said yes as long as he promised not to crash it. He wore black dress pants and a white dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows. Keeping his collar together was a simple blood-red tie. Lance had asked why he wouldn't wear a blazer, but Keith told him that tight dressy jackets weren't really his thing.  _ Man, I feel like I'm gonna pass out from nerves _ , he thought. After a few more seconds of pacing, Keith sighed and came to a stop in front of the elevator, shoving his hands in his pocket.   
  
_ DING! _   
  
The coal haired boys attention immediately snapped to the opening door of the elevator. But his face quickly fell when he realized it was only Allura and Pidge. Pidge, being the observant person she was, noticed this and glared at him. "Nice to see you too" she said sarcastically. She and Allura were now both dressed in their clothes for the prom, with their hair and makeup done. Allura had put her shock white hair in a ponytail, while Pidge's was straightened so that it came a few inches above her shoulders, her bangs held back by the beautiful green headband she had found. "Holy cow, Shiro wasn't kidding about your hair" Keith said. It was weird seeing her with longer hair. He only ever remembered her hair being as short as a boys hair, and he never even considered the possibility of it being longer than it looked. "I get it! I can look like a girl, can we go now?" Pidge grumbled to Allura as she glaring at Keith. "Fine. Let's go" Allura said as she walked towards the door. Keith's eyes followed them until he noticed that (y/n) wasn't there. "Hey! Wait up! Where's (y/n)?" he asked them. The two girl turned around, smiles on their faces. Pidge started to hold back her roaring laughter, her eyes seeming to dance. Allura slapped the back of the hazel eyed girls head. "She's changing her shoes. We tried to have her wear this one pair, but-". "She walked like a newborn giraffe! Hahaha!" Pidge laughed, holding her stomach as she doubled over. Allura rolled her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face. "Anyway... She'll be down here in a few seconds. Pidge and I have to walk to the school" Allura told Keith. "Walk? Do you need a ride?" Keith asked them. "No, that's ok, we wanted to walk. Plus, you'll need to leave right away if you want to make it to dinner," Allura said. Keith nodded his head, agreeing with Allura's statement. "Well, we need to get going. See you later" Allura said as she walked to the door. Pidge walked over and leaned on his shoulder. "Yeah have a great night" she said with a smirk on her face. Keith's eyes widened, and Pidge ran out the door, leaving him, once again, alone. He stood there in the silence of the lobby, waiting. He was terrified of messing up tonight. He had never really been truly scared, that was just him. But thinking about tonight and being with her, it was like being inside a Stephen King novel.  _ Maybe I'm just crazy and this whole thing was meant to crash and burn... _ , he thought. "Hey Keith," a familiar voice said nervously. Keith looked up from the floor to see (y/n) standing in front of the stairway that lead to the other floors of the building. His mouth fell agape, and his grayish purple eyes couldn't look away from her. His very being felt lighter, almost as if the mere sight of her washed all his worries away. "What?" she asked, planting her feet firmly on the floor, her stomach doing flips.  _ She's beautiful _ , he thought. Her (h/c) hair was done up in a fancy hairdo, accenting her cheeks. And the dress... The (d/c) dress (y/n) wore was a beautiful (d/l) length dress, and complimented her figure perfectly, seeming to move with her whenever there was movement. Keith shook his head, trying to get himself back to the real world. "Nothing. Just got dazed" Keith said absentmindedly as she walked towards her. "Gee, I'm not that pretty" she mumbled, bashfully scratching the back of her neck. Keith smirked, clicking his tongue. "I don't know, would you like to make a bet?" he jokingly asked. (Y/n) folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes at him with a playful smile. "Yeah, yeah. You don't look bad yourself" she said. "Come on, let's go to dinner. We want to get a table before the rush" Keith told her while walking closer to her, and holding her hand. She nodded and the hold they had tightened.


	42. Chapter 42

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Hello, I’m Jessie, your waitress, may I take your order?” Jessie asked with her pen and notepad ready in her hands. (Y/n) and Keith set their menu’s down, facing her. “I’ll take mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce and Pepsi please” (y/n) told her, looking at Keith afterward. “Alright, and you?” Jessie asked, turning to Keith. “Oh, I’ll have a personal pizza with water please” Keith said. After the waitress wrote it down, she turned to (y/n) with a smirk, sending her a secret wink and walking off to deliver their order. (Y/n) smiled and rolled her eyes at her.  _ At least I know it’s really Jess _ , she thought. “You know, I think that's probably the smallest meal you’ve ordered here” she said in a bubbly voice. “Well, I just don't want to eat a lot tonight, that’s all” Keith said quietly. “Who are you and where is the real Keith with his appetite?” (y/n) asked in a joking tone of voice. Keith smiled and shook his head at her attitude. “Hey, I’m serious. You’re not sick are you?” she asked him in a worried voice. The coal haired teen looked up to see a small but kind smile on her face, and he felt bad for making her worry, even if it was only a little bit. “Don’t worry about me. I guess I’m just a bit nervous” he told her. “Hey, we’re supposed to have fun tonight! There’s no reason to be nervous, so loosen up. It’ll all be fine” she told him. Keith sighed, relaxing into the seat of the booth they were in. “Sorry, I just have no idea what to do. I’ve never really been in a relationship, and I never thought I would be in one

And now, I’m  _ clueless _ on how to do anything” Keith told her. “And you think I have experience? I’ve been working and looking out for myself as long as I can remember. If anything, we’re in the same boat” (y/n) said. Keith looked at her.  _ How the hell did I get goddamn lucky? _ , Keith thought as he looked at her. Here he was, a temperamental hot-head, with a beautiful girl who somehow learned to love him through countless insults, an almost life-to-death encounter because he got competitive, beating a guys ass and making her worry, and have a nervous mental breakdown about how she was left alone like he was… How did life become so complicated? Keith could think about his whole life and never know the answer, so why bother. He was happy with her, and you hold onto happiness as long as you can. So that’s what he was going to do. “Glad to know. Let’s just eat” Keith said. As if he had perfect timing, their waitress came into view carrying a tray with their food and drinks. “Here you go. (Y/n), I’ll be back with the check in about ten minutes. “Alright, thanks” (y/n) said as her friend walked away to go serve another table. Keith and (y/n) dug into their plates, eating the delicious meal. Keith ended up eating his whole pizza, not that (y/n) was surprised, and two of her mozzarella sticks. The first one had been a taste test so he could try it. He loved it, to say the least, and bugged her to give him another one, whilst how he got the second one. By the time the order came around, they were ready to leave. So the two teen paid half of the order each and went back to the car. “Hey, you got the tickets, right (y/n)?” Keith asked, climbing into the driver's seat of the car. “Yeah, I grabbed them before I went down the stairs to meet you,” she said, buckling in her seatbelt. Keith nodded before starting up the car and driving off towards the school. As expected, the drive wasn’t long and Keith and (y/n) were there in barely any time at all. Once the coal haired boy parked the car, he got out and walked to (y/n)’s side of the car. Shiro had told him it was the polite thing to do, and Shiro was rarely ever wrong. But his hopes of using his dad’s advice were quickly destroyed when he saw that (y/n) saw that she had already gotten out on her own, and was walking towards him. “What’s with that look?” she asked when she saw his expression. “I was supposed to open the door for you, that’s what” Keith said, annoyance laced in his voice. (Y/n) rolled her eyes, a teasing look in them. “Aww, did someone want to be a good boyfriend?” she asked him in a way a mother teased her child. Keith looked away from her and folded his arms across his chest. “Shut up, will ya! Come on, let’s go inside” Keith grumbled, causing (y/n) to silently giggle to herself behind his back. As the two walked inside, they handed their tickets to a teacher that was sitting at the ticket booth, and walked into the gym. Like Allura and Shiro had discussed, there was no theme, only pretty decorations, but mainly silver and gold balloons and streamers. But hanging from the ceiling was fairy lights in every color of the rainbow, being the main source of light besides the spotlights. Over on the other side of the gym was where the food and drinks were, next to a couple tables where people could sit, eat, and talk. And by the entrance was the DJ on a platform, where Allura would announce Prom King and Queen. “Wow! It looks great! And you helped set it up?” (y/n) asked. “Yeah, we did a nice job” Keith said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a corner of the room. “So where’s your family?” (y/n) asked, looking around. “Lance is dancing with a girl he asked, Hunk got asked by Romelle who strangely has the same mindset as him, Pidge is over by the food bar putting fake edible cockroaches in the cookies, and as for Shiro… he’s going to bribe the DJ to play five eighties song for him, Coran, and Allura” Keith explained to her. (Y/n) raised an eyebrow. She looked out into the crowd, immediately spotting the blue eyed teen dancing with a girl she had seen around school, but never met. It was honestly hard  _ not _ to see him, with him wearing white dress pants and a sparkly blue salsa shirt that hugged his form. “Why would Shiro want to do that?” she asked. “Well, Lance dared him to do it. Shiro told him not only would he do it, but he’d also drag us into it as well” Keith said in a nervous tone. His grayish purple eyes darting around, trying to look for said dad. “Really?! He actually agreed to it? Well that sucks for you!” (y/n) laughed. “What do you mean, “for me”? If I’m going down, your going down with me” Keith told her, a smirk on his face. “Oh, heck no. I love you, but if it comes between leaving you, or staying to eighties dance, bye Felicia,” (y/n) said to him, smiling at the betrayed look on Keith’s face. “Don’t take it personally though” she giggled. “Well, see, now I can’t let you leave. Because I’m not going down alone” Keith said right before a slow song came on. Keith looked down to see his girlfriends (e/c) eyes light up, and turn to look up at him hopefully.  _ Shit (y/n), that's not fair! _ , he thought, cursing himself for falling for those eyes. “Fiiiiine… We can dance” he said, pulling her a little bit closer to the crowd. They stopped at the outskirts of the crowd, and turned to face each other. Memories of when they were forced to dance with each other came to mind, causing them to lightly smile. Keith placed his one hand on the small of her back, while the other held her other hand in it, and (y/n) placed her free hand on his shoulder. But since they no longer hated one another, Keith pulled her close to him so that their chests were barely touching. Slowly, they started to calmly sway to the music. As they listened to the song, Keith and (y/n) looked towards each other, making eye contact. Despite how awkward it felt to just stare at each other in public, they just kept on staring. Pretty soon it felt like the world had melted away. (Y/n) felt Keith tighten his grip in her ever so gently, as if he was afraid to break her. The thought seemed so silly to her, Keith being afraid he would hurt her. She couldn’t imagine Keith doing such a thing. When she looked at Keith, she saw a guy who loved with every part him, and would do anything to protect them by any means necessary. She saw the man she  _ loved _ . “(Y/n), the song ended” Keith said, breaking her from her train of thought. “Oh… Sorry” she said, taking a step back. “It’s fine, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Keith told her. (Y/n) brushed a stray hair from her face, looking around the room, listening to the lively music. “Let’s get some punch, I’m thirsty” he said, grabbing her hand and beginning to drag the (h/c) haired girl towards the stand next to the food table where the drinks were. “Hey! Aren’t you supposed to ask if I want punch and go get it for me?” (y/n) asked, a bright smile hiding her teasing expression. Keith rolled his eyes at her and continued to pull her behind him, not intending to let go anytime soon. “Remember our conversation? If Shiro ends up dragging us into a dance squad, you’re not leaving my side,” Keith reminded her before a sly smirk grew from his lips. “Besides, if I leave a beautiful girl like you alone, some guy will think you're single, and I think we both know I’ll end up fighting the unlucky bastard” he said. (Y/n) looked off the side, away from his mischievous gaze. “Fine, I stay by you. Now let's go get that punch” (y/n) said, running ahead of him. “Gahh!” Keith yelled as his arm was practically pulled from its socket. The pain ended as soon as they reached the punch bowl, and Keith pulled his hand free and rubbed his shoulder. “Geeze (y/n), you never told me you had the power to tow a truck!” he exclaimed, glaring at her. “I guess I’m just stronger than I look then” she said simply with a small smile on her face. Keith just shook his head and stood next to her. (Y/n) grabbed two cups from the tables and filled them with punch, handing one of them to Keith. They stood there for a few more minutes, just talking and joking about anything that came to mind. And before they knew it, it was almost ten o’clock. But they failed to notice a certain dad walked over to the DJ, slipping him a ten dollar bill. “(Y/n), we are not getting a cat” Keith told her, taking a sip of his drink. “Well, we can’t have a coyote either” (y/n) replied. “I never said coyote! I said  _ wolf _ ! There's a difference!” Keith cried out, throwing his arms out as if to make a point. “Wait, shut up” (y/n) told him, a stern look on her face. “Wha-”. “No! Listen” (y/n) said, placing a finger over his lips to shut him up. Keith had no choice but to do as she said and listened, but all he heard was the chatter of the other people there and the music…

_ “We didn't start the fire! It was always burning, since the world's been turning!” _

Keith’s eyes widened as his mind started to register the lyrics, along with the upbeat tune of the song.  _ Holy quiznak, we got to start running _ , he thought. “Keith, I see Hunk and Lance. They’re behind you trying to look all sneaky. Hunk’s doing a good job, but Lance needs a bit more practice” (y/n) informed him. “Alright, when I grab your hand, we’re going to run out to the halls. Make sure to follow me” Keith said calmly. (Y/n) nodded her head, trusting his plan mostly because she really didn’t have a better one. Keith looked around for anything that was reflective without having to turn around. Sadly, there was no such luck.  _ Looks like I’ll have to wing it _ , he thought. So, Keith waited a few seconds until he felt it was right. “And… now!” Keith exclaimed as he grabbed (y/n)’s hand and dashing towards the doors. “No way Keith! Guy’s he’s getting away!” Lance shouted to Hunk and Pidge, who was walking through the crowds. (Y/n) looked behind them to see Lance, now accompanied but his other brother, and his sister on either side of him. The whole thing felt like a scene from a spy movie, minus the whole freaking universe being in jeopardy. “Your family seems really cutthroat for the most simple things!” (y/n) exclaimed, causing Keith to smirk. “You should see us all play monopoly on game night” he said before he threw open the gym doors, running into the hallway with (y/n). Lance, Hunk, and Pidge ran out into the hallway seconds after them, looking around wildly. Lance’s ocean blue eyes scanned the halls, looking for any sign of his brother, or his friend. As if luck was on his side, he could see a glimmer of (d/c) fabric quickly disappear behind a corner, and sure enough, he could hear footsteps fading. “Found them! Come on!” Lance called before he ran after his rebel of a brother and his girlfriend. Pidge ran next to him, a determined look on her face. “Where’s Hunk?” Lance asked. “He decided it wasn’t worth the chase, but I really want this to be blackmail,” she told Lance. “They should be trapped in this hallway since it’ll only lead to a bunch of locked doors” Pidge reported just as they came to the corner. But they were disappointed to see nothing but a dark and empty hallway full of locked doors. Not a single trace of someone having been there. “Wha- Where are they? It’s not like they can just disappear into thin air!” Lance yawped. “Mmm, must have been a trick of the light” Pidge said. “What light?! There is no bright lights here!” Lance yelled. Pidge rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Come on, let’s go. He probably hid in the boy's bathroom, and told (y/n) to hide in the girls” Pidge said, pulling a fuming Lance away from the hall. Meanwhile, Keith let out a breath of relief, pulling the side of his head away from the door. He and (y/n) had swiftly hidden in an old janitor's closet that he knew had a broken lock, seeing as it was the closest door that was near him when he turned into the hall. But it was enough to hide them, seeing as they weren’t caught. “Their gone” Keith told (y/n). “Umm, that’s good. But, can we get out now?” the (h/c) haired girl asked. Keith looked down, his insides doing flips as his face flushed red. The closet not only had a broken lock but was  _ incredibly _ small. It was never meant to hold anything bigger than a vacuum, making a tight squeeze. It hadn’t been a problem until Keith noticed just how close they were. Their chests were pressed up against each other, giving Keith a view of the love of his life’s cleavage. “Sure, no problem. In fact, I think I know where to go” Keith said, opening the door and slipping out. (Y/n) walked out after him, closing the door behind her. “Where are we going?” she asked. Keith rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous look on his face. “Remember how I told you I had other stuff to do?” Keith asked. (Y/n) nodded her head, holding her hand behind her back as she walked next to him. “Well, I kinda decorated the roof of the school. I’m not a PDA person, and I don’t like big crowds. I’ll hold hands, but that’s it. So, I figured a private rooftop all to ourselves would be something that you like. No one watches you, you don’t have to worry about the amount you eat for the other people, and we can avoid people we don’t want to run into” Keith told her. (Y/n) felt like her heart just grew, that it was glowing brighter than any other star in the galaxy. Keith stopped in his place when he felt a certain pair of arms wrap themselves around his torso and a head resting against his back. “I’m glad I met you. Even if you were a dick at first” (y/n) said. Keith smiled, holding her hand in his. “Gee, I love you too,” he said dryly, an idea coming to mind. “Hey, jump on my back” he told her as he got down on one knee. “Like a piggyback ride?” she asked, an excited glint in her eyes, and smile. “Yeah, like a piggyback ride” he replied, motioning her to climb on his back. (Y/n) happily obliged, climbing onto her boyfriends back. Once she was on, Keith stood up, feeling her tighten her grip around his shoulders and waist. As he walked through the halls, the music faded more and more, all the way until he was on the other side of the school. After a few minutes, they finally reached the door that Keith was looking for. Supporting her with one arm, Keith opened it with a key he had “borrowed” from the office earlier and climbed up the stairs after he was sure to close the door behind him. Setting (y/n) down, he pulled her up until they reached another door and opened it, walking out onto the roof.


	43. Chapter 43

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) and Keith stood just outside the shed that led to the stairs, looking out onto the roof. “Keith…” (y/n) whispered, looking back at him. Keith looked off to the side, laying his hand against the back of his neck. “I know, it’s not that great. But I only had about an hour, and you would not believe the amount of crap I had to clean-”. “No, it’s not that” (y/n) said. “Oh, well what is it?” Keith asked her. “I can’t see anything, the lights are off” she told him, a nervous smile on her face as she looked out on the dark roof. She could faintly see outlines of objects, but that was it. Keith groaned and facepalmed himself. “Quiznak! Hang on a second,” Keith said as he walked past her and into the dark of the night. (Y/n) stood there for a few seconds, listening to the coal haired boys footsteps as he walked around the roof. “Alright, what about now?” he asked before he flipped a switch, turning on the electricity to the rooftop. Light flooded both of their vision, causing them to close their eyes as their sight began to adjust. After a few seconds, (y/n) opened her eyes. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. The roof was being lit up by regular Christmas lights, creating a warm glow around them. In the corner was a blanket that had a box laying right in the middle of it. Not too far away from that was a CD player with Keith’s phone plugged to it.  _ It looks beautiful… And he did for me _ , she thought, looking through back at her boyfriend. Knowing that someone did all this for her, when they didn’t need to, made her feel loved. With a bright smile on her face, (y/n) ran straight to Keith, engulfing him in a loving hug. And, as her final act, leaned up and kissed him full on the lips. For a moment, Keith went into shock, until he figured he better do something. Despite worrying that he would mess up somehow, he kissed her back. His arms moved to wrap around her before she gently pulled away. “I’ll take that you love what I did?” Keith asked, a slight dopey grin on his face. “Yes, I love it!” (y/n) exclaimed, pulling Keith down to sit on the blanket with her. “I’m glad,” Keith said while he made himself comfortable. He looked at the CD player, a thought coming to mind. “Wait a minute, I forgot something” Keith said. Leaning back, the coal haired teen turned on his phone and went to the playlist he had prepared, and music began to play. “Ooo! I like this song!” (y/n) told him. “That’s good. I kinda forgot what songs are on the playlist, so don’t get too angry with me if a horrible song comes on” Keith said, sitting back up with her. “I don’t think I could if I wanted to” (y/n) said, leaning against his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes, listening to the music that played on the stereo. “Sooo… You hungry?” he asked her. “No, but I could snack” (y/n) replied, making Keith reach for the box. She looked into the box to see it containing some of the food from the prom going on downstairs. “How did you get these?” she asked him. “Oh, I just took a couple of everything when the food got here” Keith explained, taking out a cookie and eating it whole. (Y/n) began to look through it, finding cookies, sandwiches, and even some brownies. As she was looking through, her eyes gaze hardened, not believing what she found. “Umm, Keith?” she said, gaining his attention. Keith watched as she pulled out three beer bottles, an angry look on her face. “Oh, funny story. So, I caught the soccer team trying to spike the lemonade. So when they heard me coming, they ran and left the evidence behind,” Keith explained. “I dumped the lemonade out and make a new batch while getting rid of the rest of the booze. Well, I saved these three for us, but that’s it” Keith added, grabbing a bottle. “Keith! We’re underage!” (y/n) scolded, watching him open the bottle and take a small sip. “It’s fine. It’s not like I’m going to let us get drunk. I limit myself, and I won’t let you drink too much either” Keith said. (Y/n) glared at him, crossing her her arms across her chest. “You make it sound like I’m actually going to drink” (y/n) said. “Please, these are lightweight drinks. Also, I’m not going to make you drink anything. I’d never do that” Keith told her, a serious tone in his voice. (Y/n) stared at him with wonder in her (e/c) eyes. The (h/c) haired girl wanted to say something, but she didn’t really know what to say. What he said really meant a lot to her, and made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world, causing her to smile. “Thanks, I really appreciate it” she told him before she kissed him on his cheek, causing Keith to smile. “No problem. Now, let’s eat” he said. (Y/n) nodded her head, grabbing a cookie and popping it in her mouth. The food was delicious and seemed to melt in her mouth. And, after asking Keith numerous questions just to make sure it was safe, had a few sips of the beer Keith stole. It hadn’t been as bad as she thought, but she still didn’t like it. It wasn’t the taste that bothered her, just the unsettling fact that she could be caught drinking and go to jail for however long she would.  _ Well, it’s not like I’m usually this daring. Plus, Keith’s with me, what could happen? _ , she thought. And like Keith promised, he stopped her at about half a bottle, saying that he didn’t want to find out if she had a low alcohol tolerance. They sat and talked until (y/n) had froze when she heard a song play, brightening up her mood even more than it already was. “I love this song! Come on, we have to dance to this song” she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him up with her. “Do we have to dance?” Keith asked her. (Y/n) rolled her eyes at him and his attitude, placing her hands where they were supposed to go. “Yes, Keith, you do. It’s like you said earlier. There’s no one here to watch or judge you, and it’s  _ prom _ . You can’t go to prom without dancing to a bunch of slow songs,” she told him, a smirk creeping up onto her face. “Unless you can’t dance” she said, causing Keith’s eyes to narrow at her. “I’ll have you know, I still remember how to waltz from when Lance made us” he told her, placing one hand her hip and gripping her own with his other. Taking a deep breath, Keith started to move back, following the mental map of steps in his head. He had forgotten how most of it goes, but since (y/n) hadn’t stopped him yet, he figured he was doing alright.  _ This, right here… I belong here with him _ , she thought as she rested her head on his chest. Keith could feel the nerves where her head lay tingling, making him softly smile. His hold tightened around her more, holding her close to him as they danced. They danced song after song.  _ Geez, how many slow songs did I put on there? Not that I mind or anything _ , he thought closing his eyes as he and (y/n) slowed down and just swayed to the music. It looked like it was a scene from a fairy tale, the two of them dancing in the night while it just the two of them. Nothing could possibly- “I SAW A SHOOTING STAR!” (y/n) yelled, pointing up at the sky, where Keith caught a glimpse of the tail of the star. Much to Keith’s distaste, she drew her hands back, closing her eyes and crossing her fingers. Keith looked at her, a questioning look in his grayish purple eyes. “The hell are you doing?” Keith asked. (Y/n) looked at him, confusion written on her face. “I’m making a wish. What else would I be doing?” she asked him, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t know, make a wish the right way?” he told her, placing his hands on his hips. “The “right way”? Is there even a right way to make a wish?” she asked him. “Well, Shiro told me this chant when I was little” Keith said, looking back up at the sky. A solemn look took over the (h/c) haired girl’s expression.

“Is it the “Starlight, Starbright” song?”

“So you have heard of it”

“Yeah, but I don’t believe in it. Never once made a single wish come true”

“How do you know?”

(Y/n) looked away from him, her eyes wanting to avoid his gaze. “Because I’m still here” she said quietly. Keith’s eyes widened, understanding what she meant. He could see her, a child back then, wishing for nothing more than for her parents to come to her. Knowing her, she must have spent countless nights doing so until she realized they weren’t coming back. “Oh… And, do you still wish it had come true?” he asked, fear taking hold of him. He wasn’t going to deny that he was glad that they didn’t come back for her, or else he’d never had met her. But knowing how much pain she went through… (Y/n) slowly turned to look up at Keith, making eye contact as she enveloped his hand in hers. Feeling his slightly colder hand in her own, she brought it up to her heart, not wanting to let go. Keith looked into her eyes, seeing absolutely nothing but pure, true, and burning love in them. “Keith, I don’t regret a single thing that has happened in my life so far because it all brought me to you. Did it hurt being left behind? Yes. But I was over that scar a long time ago, you just gave me stitches to make sure the wound didn’t open again. If I had to go through everything I went through in my life to still be here with you, I’d do it without hesitation” she told him. Keith didn’t know what to say. Well, he knew what he wanted to say, but he didn’t know how to explain it. He was better with actions rather than words. So he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. (Y/n) leaned in as she wrapped her arms around his neck, making the kiss deeper. Lightly brushing her hair back from her face, Keith’s hands traveled down her body until they snaked around her waist. The (h/c) haired girl’s hand tangled itself in his coal colored locks, slightly tugging on them. As if acting like a response, Keith’s grip on her waist tightened. The lack of air was starting to make their lungs sting, causing them to break apart for air and take deep breaths to regain the oxygen they needed. But it didn’t last long before Keith smashed his lips into hers, seeming to fit perfectly together. Tired of craning his neck over, the coal haired boy suddenly picking her up, walking forward until he felt her pressed between him and the wall of the shed. His mind felt all muddled together, but he could still comprehend the things around him. Not that he was paying attention to anything other than (y/n) right now, she seemed to be the only thing that was important right now. Not knowing what had gotten into him, Keith brushed his tongue across (y/n)’s lips, causing her to open it for him. Not wasting any time, he darted his tongue inside her. He made her insides squirm at the feeling of Keith completely dominating her and exploring every spot inside her wet cavern. Once he had found every nook and cranny, he pulled away, kissing underneath her jaw. “Keith?” (y/n) whispered in his ear, her breathing hard. “Yeah?” he responded, continuing to kiss her. “I… I,” she said, her voice disappearing. She felt so nervous all of a sudden, it was like it just hit her faster than a train.  _ Just say it you wuss! Remember last time?! He  _ fucking  _ ran away! _ , she thought. Gathering all the courage she could, (y/n) just went ahead and said it. “I love you” she said. Keith froze in place upon hearing her words. They ringed in his ear like a heavenly choir. Beautiful, perfect, and divine. He felt a wave of happiness and love wash over him as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. (E/c) met grayish purple in an intense gaze. “I love you too (y/n),” he said, honesty and adoration shining in his eyes, and filling his voice. “Which is why I need to tell you that if you don’t stop now, this will lead down a road you might not want to go down. I love you, and would never dream of hurting you, so I need to know if that’s ok” Keith told her, searching her face for any sort of reaction. He expected her to say no, that she didn’t want to. But instead, she smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life and kissed him on his forehead, tightening her arms around his neck in a hug as she placed her head on his shoulder. “As long as it’s with you, I’ll do it. Like I said earlier, I  _ love _ you. So to me, it’s not sex… It’s making love” she told him.  _ My god, I thought I couldn’t fall harder than I already have. Apparently, I was wrong! _ , he thought. “Alright then” he said as pulled her to his lips in a deep and loving kiss.


	44. Chapter 44

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Keith pulled away from the kiss and settled his head in the base of her neck. “(Y/n),” he whispered. “Hmmm?” the (h/c) haired girl hummed, holding him close. “I would love to continue this, but in a different place. So come on, we’re going to my place” Keith said, setting her down. Keith ran to get his phone, turning off the music and shoving it into his pants pocket. Turning to (y/n), he grabbed her hand and lead her down the staircase, leaving the school roof. He rushed down the stairs, dragging her behind him. When Keith made it to the main floor of the school, he and (y/n) ran through the halls of the school. They ran past the gym, where prom was in full swing, and out of the school and to the parking lot where Keith’s car was parked. (Y/n) stopped for a second to catch her breath. She watched as the coal haired unlocked the car, opening the door. Keith let go of (y/n)’s hands and cupped her face, just holding it in his hands. He stared into her (e/c) eyes. He loved her eyes, he loved everything about her. Her laugh, the way she walked, how she could be clumsy at times,  _ everything _ . He knew that she wasn’t perfect, but that’s what made her perfect in the first place. Keith slowly leaned in and kissed (y/n) as gently as he could. She kissed back just as gently. Keith pulled away and rested his head on (y/n)’s before he picked her up bridal style and climbed into the car. (Y/n)’s eyes went wide as Keith placed her on his lap and started the car. “K-Keith, you can’t drive with me in your lap! What if I become a distraction-”. “(Y/n), we’ll be fine. Plus, I’d worry about yourself right now” Keith told her as one of his hands trailed down her stomach. (Y/n)’s breath caught in her throat when she felt his hand make its way under the skirt of her dress. Keith pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. His hand moved up her thighs and to the rim of her underwear, and he heard (y/n) trying to hold back moan by covering her mouth with her hand. “Mmmm!” (y/n) moaned in her throat. Keith smirked. His hand pushed the piece of clothing out of the way and his finger made its way to her womanhood, where he lightly touched her clit. “Ahhhh!” (y/n) moaned loudly, grabbing the handle on the ceiling of the car. Keith quickly kissed her neck and pushed two fingers in her womanhood, his eyes staying on the road. He was almost there, just a little bit more. “Ahhh! Keith!” (y/n) gasped when she felt Keith push two fingers in and out of her opening. The longer rushed his digits, the deeper he went, like he was mapping her insides. It felt amazing, and she didn’t want the feeling to stop. “If you think that feels great, wait till we get home” Keith whispered in her ear. “O-ok!” (y/n) said as she tried to control herself. All she could feel was the strong agile finger pushing into her rapidly with no mercy. “Ahh!” she gasped when Keith not only added one more finger but two. She was going to lose it, she knew she would. She could feel something starting to form in her core like a ball, and it was building up. Keith could tell she was starting to get close, her juices were practically flowing from her and she was clenching his fingers like a vice. Wanting to pleasure her more, Keith spread his fingers and pushed them further, seeing if he could find some sort of sweet spot. (Y/n) whimpered at his ministrations. She could feel that ball in her core, and it was about to break. “K-Keith…” she said quietly. Just then, his hand pulled out of her and he turned off the car. “What the hell Keith!” she whined. She was so close to finishing, and he just stopped! What could be so important that he stopped! “We’re here. If you want to finish, we could go inside…” Keith smirked as he picked her up bridal style and got out of car, setting her on her feet. Sure enough, she looked over to see Keith’s house right there. “You big jerk” (y/n) mumbled as Keith closed the car door. “If your mad at me, you can sleep on the couch” Keith joked, knowing that was the last thing she wanted right now. But even if she wanted to, he didn’t think he would leave her alone. If he had to, Keith would have to take an ice bath. (Y/n) looked down and walked to the door, opening it. Keith followed her into the house, closing the door behind him. The second that door closed, Keith ran to (y/n), latching himself to her from behind. The lights were off, so the house was dark. But it also meant no one was home. Keith breathed on (y/n)’s neck while his hands moved towards her breasts. “Now that we’re inside, let's go up to my room” Keith breathed, holding the (h/c) haired teen to him. “That sounds good...” (y/n) replied while nodding her head. Keith grabbed her hand and held it in a firm grip, pulling her along as he ran upstairs to his room. Keith stepped into his room and slammed the door shut with him and (y/n) inside. Not wasting a single second, Keith pinned (y/n) to the wall and picked her up by her thighs. “Ah!” (y/n) moaned, feeling pressure on her womanhood again. (Y/n) squirmed in Keith’s arms, wanting him to relieve her of the feeling. Keith kissed (y/n), instantly pushing his tongue in her mouth. (Y/n) wrapped her arms around the coal haired boy while kicking her heels off her feet. Keith rested his hands on her hips and pressed closer to her, causing their groins to collide again. “Mmmm” Keith moaned. He could feel himself becoming harder by the second, and he was aching against his pants. He figured this must be how (y/n) is feeling at the moment. And  _ he _ wasn’t the one who was denied of their orgasm.  _ I guess I need to  _ help _ her then _ , he thought as one of his hands crept back to her dripping womanhood. “Keith!” (y/n) moaned when she felt Keith's fingers slide back into her, continuing where he left off in the car. The coal haired boy practically pounded his digits into her, feeling her walls grip his fingers again. He felt (y/n)’s head on his shoulder, and he could feel her hot breath going down his back, causing him to shudder at the feeling. (Y/n) was breathing hard as she felt Keith’s fingers go in and out of her over, and over, and  _ over _ again. It got even better when she felt him hit that certain spot inside her. “Ahhh! R-right there Keith!” (y/n) gasped while grabbing his shirt, pleading him to hit that spot again. Keith couldn’t help but listen to the (h/c) haired girl in his arms and hit the spot, like it was instinct. Her moans were like a type of alcohol that he was dangerously addicted to. He needed them to function for the time being. And he’d be damned if they stopped. (Y/n) could feel the her climax coming again, and she wanted it  _ bad _ . She could tell Keith knew it too. Her arms tightened around Keith’s neck and gripped his shirt like it was her lifeline. “Keith! I’m-”. “I know...” the coal haired boy told her. (Y/n) was so close, only a few more seconds… “Ahhh!” she moaned as she had her first climax right there on the spot. All she could see was white as she calmed down from her intense high. Keith pulled his fingers out from her. They were soaked in her juices, and he felt another wave of that aching feeling in his member. He didn’t know how long he would last. He had meant to pull away at last second, to make her have to wait for what would’ve felt like ages... But he couldn't do it. (Y/n) was breathing hard like she just ran across the country. All of these feelings were so new to her, but she didn’t want them to stop. She trusted Keith with her life, and she knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Keith pulled back and looked into her (e/c) eyes, and she stared back at his purple gray ones. Keith watched as a small, gentle smile appeared on her face. He smiled back and leaned in for a gentle kiss. He trailed loving kisses down her neck, and onto her sweet spot. (Y/n) hummed in her throat, enjoying the feeling of the coal haired boy biting and sucking her neck. Suddenly, Keith pulled away, leaving her neck. Before she could say anything, he picked her up and sat down on his bed with (y/n) securely in his lap, facing him. Keith quickly reclaimed her lips and forced his tongue in her mouth. His hands slid down to her hips, resting just under the small of her back. “Take off my shirt for me…” he told her, breathing heavily. (Y/n) broke out into a bright red blush. “W-what!” she stuttered. Had she heard him right? “You heard me, unbutton and take off my shirt for me” he told (y/n) again, his hands gripping her skin. She gasped, surprised at the action. “Why can’t you?” she whimpered. “Because I told you to. If you don’t want to, we can always stop…” he whispered huskily in her ear, causing a shiver to spread down her spine. Keith smirked as he felt her hands leave his back and travel to his shirt. (Y/n) moaned as she felt Keith grind her hips against his. He could get her to do almost anything at the moment, and she would submit wholeheartedly. She should’ve known he would be the dominant type, it’s not in him to simply “back down”. Not that she was exactly complaining, either. Keith grinded her hips against his, trying to relieve himself of the aching in his member. Though, it seemed to have the opposite reaction he wanted, and only made it worse. And the fact that he could feel (y/n)’s hands trailing down his chest wasn’t helping. Once she was done unbuttoning his shirt, Keith immediately took off his shirt and tie, tossing it to the other side of the room. His hands placed themselves at the back of her dress. (Y/n) blushed as she felt Keith slowly undo the dress. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. She shuddered as (y/n) felt the coldness of his fingers go down her back, and the roughly sucking on her neck once again. After a while, she could feel her dress go limp, and Keith quickly took it off. As the dress landed on the floor, Keith stared at (y/n). She was only in her bra and underwear now. Blushing madly, she tried to cover herself only to have Keith grip her wrists and pull them away behind her back. Keith smiled gently at her. Something he found himself doing more since he had met her, and he loved it. He let go of her hands and cupped her face. He made her face him. (Y/n) stared into his grayish purple eyes, seeing nothing but love in them. She leaned in, closing the little to no space between them. They locked lips in a slow and kind kiss. There was no lust, no roughness, just love. Keith smirked into the kiss, pulling away too soon. “I love you, never forget that. Got it?” he asked. (Y/n) smiled at him. “How can I?” she replied. Keith placed his hands on her back, instantly landing on her bra strap. The coal haired boy nuzzled into (y/n)’s neck, unclipping the latch in the back. He couldn’t see it, but the (e/c) eyed girl was a darker shade of red than his own jacket. As she felt Keith slip her bra off of her, (y/n)’s arms trailed up his back, causing him to take slightly deeper breaths. Her hands came to rest on top of his strong shoulders, her arms under his own. Keith started to push her down into his bed, resting her back carefully on his sheets. He looked at her through the darkness of his room. She was a braless, blushing, sweaty mess. As he stared at her, he couldn’t help but imagine how she would look one he entered her. Her legs spread wide for him, her breasts bouncing up and down from his rough thrusts, her moans- _ Stop it Keith! You're getting yourself more excited before you even start _ , Keith thought, thankful for the darkness of the room so she couldn't see his flushed face. Keith leaned down to kiss (y/n) deeply, his hands trailing up and down her sides. As the temperamental hothead kissed the love of his life, his hands were starting to go lower and lower, eventually resting on her hips. His fingers gripped at the exposed skin, slipping beneath the strap of her underwear and slowly pulling them down. “Mmmm” (y/n) quietly moaned as she felt the soft, calloused touch of Keith’s fingers on her skin. Keith trailed his kissed from her mouth to her jawline, sucking the skin that was still sensitive from his earlier ministrations. Keith lead a trail to her sweet spot, making to sure to leave red and purple hickeys where his lips left. “Ahh!” (y/n) moaned loudly as she felt the coal haired boy bite her sweet spot. Keith smirked, knowing she was making those noises because of him. He revealed in it. Keith slipped the underwear off of her, the piece of clothing landing on the floor. Knowing that she was completely bare under him, Keith started to kiss lower down her shoulder. (Y/n) whimpered in pleasure as she felt his burning lips practically brand her skin, no doubt leaving welts. All she could register now were Keith’s lips going lower and lower down her body. (Y/n) gasped when she felt his tongue lick her breast, centimeters away from her nipples. Keith smirked into her mounds as his hands traveled around the bed to find her hands, instantly grasping them once he had found her fingers. They were slick and wet from her own sweat, but she was able to squeeze his hands without any difficulty. (Y/n) felt as Keith’s mouth engulfed her nipple. “Ooohhh!” she moaned, giving the coal haired teen’s pale hand a squeeze again. Keith swirled his tongue over the erect bud, sucking on it as his teeth slightly pulled on it. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was new, but a good kind of new. A new that she wanted to experience forever. Keith pulled away from her chest, hearing her whine in protest. Keith chuckled at her behavior. He made his way up to her ear, kissing her on the way up “Calm down, we’re far from done. Trust me. Now,” he whispered in her ear. Keith grasped her hands, pulling them up past her head and to the bed board. “Hold onto this. If you let go, everything stops and We’ll take turns taking cold showers” he husky ordered, arranging her hands in his so that she was gripping the board. Keith looked at (y/n) in the darkness. She was a body asking for any kind of pleasure. He did this. He was the one that had marked her neck with red and purple hickeys. He was the reason she was covered in sweat. He made her moan his name, and made her cum on his fingers… And he loved it. He leaned down to kiss her stomach, hastily making his way down towards (y/n)’s thigh. He trailed his mouth to the inside of it, making sure to bite her skin, causing her to whine and squirm in his arms. To hold her still, Keith wrapped his arms around her thighs, setting them on top his shoulders. Now he was right in front of her entrance. “K-Keith please…” (y/n) breathed, not knowing how much longer she could take his teasing. Not wanting to wait anymore, he dove right in. (Y/n) cried out in pleasure, her breathing sounding more haggard by the second. She could feel his tongue lapping her juices inside her core non-stop. He hit her nerves, shots of pleasure spreading through her like fire. She gripped the headboard tighter as he traveled deeper inside her. “Ahhh!” she moaned when she felt the tip of his tongue grazed her sweet spot, causing the familiar tight feeling in her core again. Keith hummed against her opening, the vibrations sending a pleasurable feeling throughout her, causing her to nearly scream. Keith knew he had hit that special place inside her the second she bit those lips of hers in an attempt to keep from crying out. Feeling confident, Keith started to push himself further towards her, going deeper into her. The taste of her was addicting, like he could never get enough of it. (Y/n) could feel her insides responding to everything little movement his tongue did. The coil in her womanhood started to build up, becoming both pleasurable and unbearable. “K-Keith! I’m close…” she breathed out.  _ Now or never _ , Keith thought. Getting one last taste, Keith pulled away from her and wiped some of her juices from the corner of her mouth. “What was that for!” (y/n) moaned, and angry tone in her voice. Keith didn’t answer as he kicked off his pants, slipping off his boxes along with them. Relief coursed through him at the feeling of his member finally free from its former confinement. “You can let go of the board” Keith told her, causing his girlfriends to immediately let go of the bedpost, sitting up a little bit. Her eyes instantly spotted his hard shaft as he moved so that he leaned over her, his weight supported by his elbows. Bringing her gaze back up to his eyes, Keith could see slight worry and fear in them, making his heart squeeze. Truth was, he was scared too. He had never done anything like this, and considered himself lucky he made it this far. The same went for (y/n) too. She had never been in a relationship before Keith, much less had sex. But it felt right for the both of them somehow. The coal haired boy leaned in and kissed her forehead in a loving way, looking into her eyes. “This will hurt, so bear with me, ok?” he told her. “Don’t worry” she said, smiling up at him. That was all the confirmation he needed before he slowly slid himself inside her wet heat. (Y/n) screamed in pain at the feeling of her vaginal opening being stretched, causing her to hold onto Keith like he was her life support. The coal haired boy continued to push into her until he was all the way to the hilt, his hips pressed firmly against hers. (Y/n) took deep breaths as her eyes started to tear up, her nails digging into their place on his back. Keith groaned as he felt the stinging pain on his back along with the feeling of his member being inside her. “Shhhh” Keith whispered in her ear before he kissed her cheek and whipped her eyes. Moments passed like that, with Keith holding onto her as the pain slowly started to fade. When (y/n) could no longer feel any pain, she carefully leaned up to Keith. “Y-you can try to move…” she told him in a soft voice. Keith nodded his head, pulling his hips back and thrusting back in gently. Loud moans cried out at the feeling of his shaft moving inside her, the feeling of pleasure flowing through them. Knowing that it was ok to continue, Keith started to thrust in and out at a controlled pace since he didn’t want to hurt (y/n). Their minds were blank, as if everything was put on reset. All they could conceive was the pleasure that occurred when he thrusted into her. With each thrust he traveled a little deeper, hitting new spots that would make her squirm and whimper under him, fueling his motivation further. “God (y/n)! Ahh!” Keith moaned as he felt her squeeze his cock like a vice. “Ohhh!” (y/n) cried out in bliss, feeling the head of his member brush against a certain spot in her, turning her to mush. Knowing that he had found a new sweet spot, Keith thrust into her a little harder. (Y/n) wrapped her legs around his waist in response, making him go deeper. “Keith!” (Y/n) shouted, closing her eyes in pure zest. Her hand moved up to tangle itself into his hair and pulling it, causing him to cry out a breathy moan. Keith opened his eyes, gazing at her before him. Sweat covered every inch of her, as well as him, making her look like she was glowing like an angel. Her breathing was heavy and ragged, making her breast heave up and down, pressing them firmly against his chest. His deep thrusts were rocking her back and forth, making her moan. Her moans… The mere sound of them drove him crazy. (Y/n) dragged her nail across his back as Keith’s thrusts got quicker and tougher, causing a familiar feeling in her. “Ahh! Keith!” she moaned, burying her face in his neck. Keith could feel his release approaching, making his movements more rough and sloppy. He slammed into her, his speed seeming inhuman. “I-I’m close! Keith!” she shouted, moaning his name like a prayer. “I love you!” Keith yelled, feeling his own release rapidly progress, making it’s own way steadily up his member. “I love you too Keith!” (y/n) moaned as the knot in her core snapped, cumming all over his his shaft, allowing him to move faster in and out of her. “Ahhh!” Keith moaned as he felt her warm seed completely surround him. She seemed to get tighter, if that was even possible, contracting him as if to urge him to cum with her. Thrusting with everything he had, Keith finally felt the coil in his member unravel. “Ohhh” he cried out as he rode out his release. He groaned at the feeling of (y/n) milking him dry until there was nothing left. Pulling out of her vaginal opening, Keith fell next to her. The both laid there on his bed, breathing as if they ran a marathon. Keith grabbed the blanket from under them, pulling it over themselves so that they were covered by it. Pulling her to him so that his chest pressed against her back. 

“Hey (y/n)?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you were my first for everything”

“Me too”


	45. Epilogue

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(Y/n) quietly groaned as she started to stir from her sleep, but didn't make any attempt to get up.  _ Man, haven't had that dream in a while _ , she thought. She felt numb like she had no limbs attached to her. The one thing she could clearly feel was the toned chest pressing against her bare back and the strong pair of arms around her waist. The room was quiet as sunlight pouring in through their bay window, the curtains lightly flapping in the wind. The cool breeze made her slightly shiver. Taking a deep breath, (y/n) slowly stretched, instantly wincing at the feeling of pain in her lower abdomen. “Shit…” she whispered, causing her lover to stir from behind her. Keith groaned as he slightly stretched, changing his position so he laid on his back. Though his mind felt fuzzy and blank, he could still think clearly. “Mmmm… You awake I gather?” he asked, his quiet morning voice evident as he scratched his torso. “What do you think,” she said as she moved to lay on his chest, her head resting over his heart. She almost fell asleep again when he combed his fingers through her (h/c) hair. But the moment was ruined as she felt a small, sharp pain on her head. “Ow! What the heck Keith?” the (e/c) eyed women asked. The coal haired man pulled back his and, a regretful look on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pull” Keith muttered. “It’s ok, I’ve done it to you a few times last night” she told him, relaxing her head against him once again. “Yeah, I’m surprised you didn’t wake up the neighbors” Keith said, a smirk on his face as he remembered the events of last night. A bright pink blush covered (y/n)’s cheeks. “You ass! You were too rough last night! It still hurts!” she exclaimed, leaning up so that she could support herself on her elbows. (Y/n), in her fit of minor rage and embarrassment, failed to realize that she was giving the grayish purple eyed man a full view of her chest. “Are you trying to go for a morning round also?” he asked her in a cocky tone. (Y/n) growled as she wanted nothing more than to slap that smug look off his face. “I hate you in the morning” (y/n) started, avoiding his gaze.

“Come on now, is that any way to treat your-”

“Don’t you  _ dare _ pull that card on me!”

“So you didn’t enjoy last night?”

“Well… I’m not exactly saying that…”

Keith smiled, leaning in to kiss her. (Y/n) slowly leaned in, despite her current attitude. Breaking apart, Keith looked into her eyes. “How about we cash in that morning round before-”. “WAHHHHHHH!” a baby wailed from the other room. “Dammit, León- DADA NEEDS TIME WITH MOMMA TOO!” Keith yelled, only receiving a louder cry from the said baby. Keith growled, making (y/n) giggle as he climbed off of him and picked up a random button-up shirt from the ground and put it on. “Why did we name our baby after the Spanish name for “lion” again?” Keith asked in an annoyed tone. “Now Keith, there's enough to me to go around” (y/n) said as she got up, ignoring the pain, and walked over to the babies room. She and Keith had a few pictures from their wedding in the hallway, along with a few from high school. It had been five years since she graduated, and was just now raising a baby with Keith. They had considered themselves lucky when she showed no signs of pregnancy after their junior prom. But they had gotten married right after high school, living in her apartment until they eventually had enough money to by a small house on the other side of town. And now, she woke up early in the morning to feed the baby when she didn’t need to work. (Y/n) opened the door, to see little León in his cradle, his red lion patterned baby blanket tight in his grip. “Wahhhh!” he cried. (Y/n) took a second to look at him, love shining in her (e/c) eyes. León had short coal colored hair like Keith, and (y/n)’s (s/c) skin and her (e/c) eyes. Deciding that the baby had to be fed at some time today, she picked up the baby, walking to the living room and sitting down. “Alright, calm down, it’s coming León” she told León, not that he cared, he just wanted breakfast. Softly smiling, (y/n) unbuttoned her shirt and began to breastfeed. Keith sighed as he walked out of the room to the living room. He could faintly hear his wife singing “Baby Mine, Don’t You Cry” to his son. 

_ “Rest your head close to my heart, never part, baby your mine” _

Smiling, Keith walked over and sat next to her. “What’s the point of breastfeeding him again?” he asked. (Y/n) rolled her eyes and her singing stopped. “I told you, I was given boobs to feed the baby, so that’s what I’ll do. My body made specific milk for our baby. Plus… To me, gives us a better  _ bond _ ” she said, smirking at him. Keith’s face contorted in anger. “Lance remembers it, he just won’t admit it!” Keith exclaimed. (Y/n) giggled at him. “So, what did you dream about last night? You mumbled in your sleep” Keith stated, causing (y/n) to freeze up, her hold on León tightening securely. A light pink blush dusted her cheeks, and a soft smile graced her lips. “Well, it was more like going down memory lane…” she said softly. Keith leaned over and kissed her cheek, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as the other one wrapped around her arms that were holding the baby. His fingers brushed against León’s feet, holding him with his wife. “Which one?” he asked. “Our love story” she answered simply. Who knew that wishing on stars worked?


End file.
